Reflect the Storm
by BlazingScarecrow
Summary: (AU). After receiving an order to conquer a planet on his own, little did Raditz know that would create a new path for him.
1. The Start of a Different Path!

_Disclaimer: Dragon Ball, Z, GT, and Super, together with all their characters, belong to ToeiAnimation, FujiTV, Shueisha, and Akira Toriyama._

_AU story that was inspired by a Dragon Ball SD special chapter where Vegeta and Raditz go to Earth for training. _

_Set a year before the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament._

_Apologies in advance for all the grammatical or spelling errors._

_Until next time!_

* * *

On a faraway planet, a young teen marched through the brightly illuminated hallway. Just like the people around him, he wore a battle armor above the blue suit that barely reached his knees. On his face was attached a strange device with a small green screen, covering his left eye. He didn't pay any attention to the others, just minded his own business as he walked forward. A cocky smirk on his face all the time.

He turned to the left and stopped in front of metal doors. Once the door opened, he walked inside, causing his long but spiky black hair to sway. Inside the room, he was able to see a soldier with a helmet sitting right in front of a large control panel and a screen. The soldier's mouth and eyes were wide open, but he simply chuckled at that. His black eyes moved towards a huge, muscular man who was leaning against the wall.

As he approached the older man, he opened his mouth. "How long have you been here?" His left hand rested on the hip as he stood near the bald warrior who, for a short moment, looked at him.

"Three hours."

The younger one acknowledged that and turned his head toward the screen. "Let me guess, Vegeta already kicked your ass and continued his training?" His dark orbs shifted left and right as he watched the short, flame-haired boy punch and kick an invisible enemy. "You know, he really should learn how to relax." Sure, he loved to train and fight as well, but also to kick back and rest.

His words only made the other male to scoff. "Right, just like you. No wonder you're so far behind us, Raditz." The bald soldier closed his eyes and bounced off the cold wall. "Unlike you, he's on a mission to become the strongest in the universe, and one day, rule over it!" There was a glimmer in his eyes as he stared at the young boy on the screen.

The young boy's tail shifted around the waist as he looked away, annoyed. "Whatever..." He didn't like the sound or words that came from the older man. "So, when's our next mission scheduled?" Trying to change the subject and just forget what was said, Raditz wanted to know when they were going to leave this place.

He shrugged his shoulders and continued to watch. "Don't know, never received a report from Zarbon or Dodoria." His gaze moved towards the soldier on duty and barked at the man. "Hey, you! Let the Saibamen out. He's bored out there." He pointed at the short warrior inside the training room as he said that.

The loud voice scared the soldier. "Huh!?" He was so mesmerized by the kid's speed that he completely forgot about the large Saiyan. "Y-Yes, sir! Um, how many Saibamen should I release?" The guy typed on the panel while he waited for the response.

"All of them."

His helmet almost fell off when he heard the reply. "S-Sorry, what?" His stammering voice made Raditz laugh while the older Saiyan yelled at him. "You deaf or what!? I told you to release all of them!" All the hair on his body stood up out of fear. Before he disappeared from this world, he complied.

Just as the small gates in the training room began to open, a faint noise came out of his device. "What now!?" The bald Saiyan lifted his muscular arm and pressed a button. He turned around and walked away, unable to see Saibamens quick and painful demise.

While his taller partner was having a conversation, Raditz just stared at the screen. The young boy's performance was brilliant. There were no openings, and he dealt with each attack like it was nothing. Not to mention, the boy's power was growing at an incredible rate, unlike his. That, of course, brought out a scowl on his face. Sure, the kid was of royal blood and a prodigy, but so was he to some degree. Amongst the low-class Saiyans, he was born with the highest potential and even chosen to be the prince's companion. So, what was holding him back from reaching similar heights of power?

Raditz snapped off his thoughts when the other Saiyan walked back. "Screw that narcissistic bastard!" He didn't even need to ask who delivered the message.

The Saiyan pushed the chair and the soldier on it away so he could speak with the flame-haired boy. "Vegeta, we received new orders from Zarbon! The bastard's expecting us to meet right away!" He released the microphone and moved away from the control panel.

Raditz did the same and pushed himself off the wall. He walked toward the other doors and greeted the younger boy. "Here's your uniform and armor, Vegeta." The voice of the older Saiyan was calmer as the man kneeled and handed over the garments.

A grunt was all that came out of the short boy who took his stuff and walked away. "Nappa, did Zarbon say anything specific about our task?" The flame-haired boy took off his dirty and sweat-drenched clothes and stepped into the shower.

"Not at all. Only to meet in ten minutes."

The short boy didn't respond at all. He continued to shower for a few more minutes while his followers waited outside.

**.**

They walked through the corridor and wholly ignored the stares from other soldiers. While the flame-haired prince was in the middle, with a stern look on his face, his two companions were slightly behind. Both warriors were wearing cocky smirks as they moved forward until they reached the room. As the metal doors slid open, they were able to see a man talking to someone.

The man's long, green hair was tied and hung over the shoulder pad. His white cape swayed with even the slightest of movements. Shortly after the door opened, he handed some papers to a reptilian creature and shifted his golden eyes to his new guests.

A grin appeared on the man's light-blue face as he greeted the Saiyans. "Little Vegeta, it's always a pleasure to see you and your men." He lifted a hand to cover his mouth.

The young boy just ignored that and crossed his arms. "Hmph, skip the pleasantries, Zarbon." His sharp gaze only amused the green-haired warrior even further. "Tell us about our next mission so we can leave this place already." Nappa and Raditz couldn't agree more with their prince.

"Oh, it seems to me you can't wait to leave the station. Is there something not to your liking?" Zarbon approached the group, rather the young prince. The man lowered his head, causing the earrings to dandle. His golden eyes were staring into the prince's black ones, trying to submit the Saiyan.

He wanted nothing more than to kill the man in front of his eyes, but he needed to wait. "No, of course not. We just want to go out there and conquer new planets." Replied the calm Vegeta as he closed his eyes. "Our warrior blood is thriving for new challenges, and sometimes it's tough just to sit and wait." He reopened his eyes and glared at the taller man.

Zarbon raised an eyebrow as he observed the boy. After a few seconds, he pulled himself back and chuckled. "Of course." The tall warrior turned around and walked away. "Regarding your new assignment..." Zarbon reached his desk and lifted a tablet from it.

"There's a slight change. Our forces meet some difficulties on planet Litt, however..." He raised his head away from the pad and looked at the Saiyans. "Lord Freeza doesn't want this little "hiccup" to halt the spread of his empire!" Zarbon gently moved the hair from his face as he continued talking.

"On Lord Freeza's orders, prince Vegeta and Nappa are to join in battle on planet Litt immediately." His eyes shifted from the short prince and his huge guard on to the third Saiyan.

"As for Raditz, he is requested to eradicate the people of planet Kabocha and prepare it for sale."

As the drop of sweat rolled over his right cheek, Raditz closed his hand into a tight fist. A long-time passed since he was sent alone on a mission, but perhaps this was just what he needed. He would conquer a planet without Nappa to mock his strength or his way of fighting and Vegeta to bark orders around. Great, this was just what he needed to vent out a little bit. Indeed, there was nothing to worry about. They wouldn't send just him if the people there had significant power levels.

There was no protest from Vegeta, which he was glad. Since there was nothing more to discuss, they left Zarbon's quarters and headed to eat before departing.

A pile of empty plates was on their table as they ate tons of food. It was necessary, though. They were warriors; they needed as much nourishment and proteins as possible. Also, who knows what might happen on the battlefield and for how long they would need to survive without a proper meal. It wouldn't be their first time to spend days without food.

While he was on his last plate, the older Saiyan suddenly began a conversation. "Hn, I think we shouldn't let this furball to go on his own Vegeta." That surprised the long-haired warrior who instantly stopped eating. "Something stinks, and I'm talking about those orders." He shot a glare in Nappa's direction, just what the hell was the bald idiot doing!?

"Tch, who asked you anything!?" The annoyance in Raditz's voice was pretty straightforward. "I can very well conquer a planet on my own!" He slammed the fork against the table while his eyebrow twitched.

He didn't need anyone looking after him, especially not Nappa. Anger was rising quickly. He wasn't some soft kid who couldn't do anything on his own. No, he was a Saiyan warrior. The last thing he wanted was to be looked down upon. Of course, he was the weakest of the three, but that didn't mean he was without pride. Just like them, he searched for new challenges and to increase his strength. Sure, his power was developing slower compared to Nappa's or especially Vegeta's, but it was growing nonetheless.

Raditz's behavior and tone made the bald Saiyan to clench his teeth. "Don't you dare talk in that manner with me, you low-class brat!" A throbbing vein popped on Nappa's head as he glared at the younger warrior.

Their growls and hisses quickly started to annoy the prince. He put the plate on the table and cleaned his mouth before talking. "Nappa, enough!" His voice instantly stopped the argument between the two who looked in his way.

"You heard the orders. There's nothing you can do about them, no matter what you think." His eyes cemented on the older warrior who moved the head away. "As for you, you better back up all those words you're spewing out of that low-class mouth of yours!" Even though he was the youngest, his eyes and voice kept the other Saiyans in check.

Vegeta rose from the chair and turned around. "If you fail this mission, the consequences will be dire. Don't forget about that, Raditz." He shot one last gaze at his fellow Saiyan, who just gave him a nod. "Good. Nappa, let's go." The prince was already near the exit by the time Nappa stood up from the chair.

Nappa and Raditz didn't say a word. They simply glared at each other, and that was enough. Once his companions were gone, Raditz released a hefty sigh. He was finally alone after such a long time. While he hated to be mocked and continuously criticized by them, they were still his fellow Saiyans. They were the last in the universe, and despite everything, he needed them. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't enjoy some time alone. Just what could go wrong?

**.**

Voices were heard all over the place. There was a large group of people shouting and searching for somebody. Under the strong sunlight, a fast-moving figure ran through the thick forest. His battle armor torn to shreds. Every exposed part of his body got covered in bruises. Blood leaked out of a deep cut above his left eye, which was a nuisance.

He couldn't believe what was going on. When he first landed, there was no higher power level than his. He double-checked, but the damn thing was busted. After all, it was an older model. His mission started well. He attacked from the sky, setting the villages and later the cities on fire. Those who tried to fight him were easily disposed, but the next day everything went downhill.

A branch smacked his face and sent him on the ground. "Damnit, all!" He stood up quickly and resumed his run.

The following day was the same as the previous one. He continued his mission, and everything was going as it should until the moment they showed up. Royal Guard or whoever they were. A group of men and women wearing ridiculous-looking clothes and armors attacked him. He only managed to defeat one of them, and he knew that was the weakest one. Since then, he was on the run, what a disgrace!

He hated this because it proved Nappa was right. But there was also fear, fear of what would happen if he left this place without accomplishing his mission. Not only would he suffer Vegeta's wrath but Freeza's as well. Perhaps dying here wasn't a wrong choice. However, he didn't want to die, not just yet. He still had a trump card, but to use it, he needed to wait the night.

His body was shutting down; he was well aware of it. He needed to find a place to hide right away. The warrior pushed his body to the limit as he ran until he reached the edge. His breathing was out of control as he stood on the edge of a cliff. There was a broad and deep ravine, impossible to see the bottom. He stared at it for a minute, thinking what else he could do, but there wasn't any other choice. Before the elite soldiers of this world caught up with him, he jumped down and glided on the wind.

Several minutes later, after the warrior vanished into the dark pit, a group of warriors emerged from the forest. Each of them looked around for the long-haired invader, except one. His short and spiky teal hair waved on the wind as he stared down. He had an idea where the invader went, which brought a smirk out of hiding.

"Everyone, we're suspending the hunt!"

His order surprised the others, but he quickly explained. "Considering where we are, there's no point in following the invader. Once he realizes what's down there, he'll climb back up, and that's when we'll strike!" As he turned around, his golden necklace bumped against his royal armor.

**.**

Darkness, that's all there was. The blasted sun couldn't even reach this far. While he was blind down here, at least nobody was going after him. It was a wise choice to jump here after all. However, he wondered why those bastards didn't come after him. Were they afraid of this place, or did he just lose them? Whatever the case, he needed to find a place to rest until midnight.

Summoning what little energy he had left, he ignited his palm with ki. The light was strong enough to illuminate a five-meter radius. Finally, he was able to see what tickled his legs so much. He moved through the tall grass and mud as he looked for a cave where he could sleep. As he walked around, he was on guard for any potential threat.

"Those filthy bastards ridiculed me for the last time! I'll show them the true might and terror of a Saiyan warrior!" He swore to himself to rip them apart once midnight came. "All their loved ones will suffer the same fate; nobody gets away from Raditz!" The moment he said that, his legs gave up.

The young warrior fell with his face against the ground and cursed loudly. "Fuck!" His voice echoed over the place as he tried to get up.

His legs were shaking together with his arms, with which he tried to push himself up. After two minutes, Raditz was back on his feet. Calling out his energy once again, the Saiyan was sure he heard Something. He glanced around, but nothing. All he could see was black, so he illuminated the place with his ki. Once he did that and turned forward, his eyes were wide open.

Right in front of him was a giant snake-looking creature. The creature hissed at the tiny prey as it moved its head closer. Raditz's light seemed to annoy the snake, which swung its two tails in anger. The long-haired warrior swallowed hard as he tried to think of what to do. He was in no shape to fight this thing, but he didn't know if he could outrun it as well.

The Saiyan bit his lower lip and pointed his illuminated palm at the snake. "_Saturday Crush!" _The white glow quickly changed to pink as it discharged at the snake.

Since the snake was so close to Raditz, he pointed the ki blast right at the creature's eye. His attack hit the snake, which howled in pain, only making the Saiyan laugh. However, the snake's thrashing proved to be troublesome. Without any control, the creature swung around with its two tails and struck Raditz. The young warrior slammed against the wall, and because of the strong force behind the attack, he was stuck.

With half of his face covered by blood, Raditz released a moan as he tried to lift his head. "T-Tch, this day couldn't get any worse..." His silent mumble reached no one.

With barely any strength left and one eye open, Raditz first pulled his arms out. He pushed himself out of the wall and levitated in the air. The warrior summoned his aura so he could light the place, but once he did that, the massive creature tried to eat him alive. Just barely, he managed to avoid another attack. As he scrambled around, he could hear and see that the giant snake was going after him.

Getting frustrated by all that happened, Raditz suddenly soared higher. He swirled in the air and propelled himself toward the snake. "Just leave me alone and die already!" Pink orbs appeared on each palm as he headed straight for the creature. The pink light illuminated the whole place as he closed the distance.

Once he appeared right above the snake's head, he released a loud shout. "_Double Sunday!" _His ki blasts were strong enough to knock the creature on its back. However, it wasn't dead yet.

Knowing he could do nothing about it, Raditz decided to take his chance and escape. His aura died the moment the snake wasn't looking. Without wasting any precious time, Raditz dropped on the muddy ground and ran without making any big noises.

_"It's here somewhere; I'm sure I saw an entrance when I flew by only a second ago!"_

And indeed, there was a small hole in the wall. Without thinking about what could be inside, Raditz dropped on the ground and slid inside. His whole body was covered in mud as he continued to slid down. He tried to stop himself, but his hands couldn't find anything to curl its fingers around. Before he could use his energy to support himself, the young warrior slammed his head against Something hard, losing consciousness.

**.**

Several hours later, and the young Saiyan finally woke up. It took some time before he remembered what happened to him. Without even knowing where he was, he released a long sigh. At least he was safe, for now. Somehow he managed to hide from that giant creature. He leaned his head gently against the wall and wondered how many hours passed. From where he was at the moment, he couldn't tell if it was day or night. He was all alone, submerged in darkness. It was cold, probably because he was sitting in the mud and covered in it.

He raised his left hand and tried to turn on the device, but nothing. "Great, just great..." The man harshly took off the device and threw it away. "Guess I should take a look outside." Carefully, of course. He didn't want to fight that giant snake again.

Using a small amount of energy, Raditz slowly began to levitate. As he slowly moved up, he put his hands on the ground to feel if there was anything dangerous ahead. He didn't want to light up the place and have another battle. Part of his power was restored, but not enough to waste it around.

After almost half an hour, the Saiyan emerged from the hole. He moved his hands across the ground, trying to orientate himself. Once he figured out where to go, the young long-haired warrior started to climb.

An additional hour passed before he was able to see it. A big grin appeared on his bruised face once he saw the bright stars and the moon in the sky. "Yes, there it is! Those idiots are don!" The thirst for revenge and blood got the best of him.

Raditz climbed faster; he just couldn't wait anymore. He only saw a part of the moon, but the shape was that of a full one. It would only take a moment, a few seconds before he started to change. His speed increased, and before long, the Saiyan jumped, only to land safely under the night's sky.

He spread his arms as he stared at the bright, full moon. "That's it; once I transform into Oozaru, they're all dead!" Raditz released a peal of loud laughter that echoed across the rocky wasteland. However, Something terrible happened.

For an unknown reason, the full moon disappeared without a trace. "What's going on!? How could a moon vanish like that!?" His voice carried a panic tone as he frantically swung his hands around.

"Hah, poor fool. Did you think it would be that easy?"

Upon hearing a familiar voice, Raditz instantly turned around. "It was a simple projection!" The Saiyan's eyes were wide open, which caused the leader to chuckle. "We heard tales of your people's incredible ability." Raditz's face was consumed by sweat, which fused with the mud and dripped from his chin.

"A ferocious and incredible beast is born under the full moon. So powerful and wild, capable of destroying anything in its path. A mighty Oozaru!" The short-haired leader theatrically moved his hands as he spoke about the Saiyan's ability.

While the rest of the royal guards just levitated behind their leader, Raditz didn't know what to do. His only chance of fulfilling his mission was gone. There was only one choice, to run and find his space pod. If he remained here and they captured him, they would torture him and execute eventually. There was also the fact what Vegeta and Freeza could do to him, but maybe he could find an excuse.

Yes, it wasn't his fault! The reports stated no high power levels, and yet there were. Sure, he would receive punishment for failing but not so sever if he told that. So, he only needed to escape from here. He looked around. Anything would do.

Meanwhile, the royal guards slowly approached the Saiyan. "Look at him, how pitiful. To think they would send a weak Saiyan to conquer our world." Commented a guard on the left while his golden hair swayed on the wind.

"True, but I thought Saiyans were obliterated together with their world?"

The other voice belonged to a dark-haired female. There was a look of pity in her violet eyes as she stared at the young Saiyan. "Hn, there's always bound to be a survivor. Either way, it doesn't matter. Go and capture him, alive if possible." It was a direct order.

"Yes, sir!"

He was able to hear all of them coming. There was only one thing he could do. "Damn it! Here goes nothing!" His next actions surprised the warriors of this world.

Surrounded in bright, flashy light, Raditz flew into the ravine. While the warriors wondered why he would do that, their leader narrowed his eyes. _"That boy, what's he thinking? No, don't tell me..." _His pupils were shaking at the possible realization.

"Everyone, scatter! It's not safe there!"

His warning fell on deaf ears. The loud and bright explosions inside the ravine prevented everyone from hearing anything. They shielded themselves just in case if the boy tried Something, but nothing came in their way. However, Something did come out of the explosions. Engulfed in flames, the giant snake emerged from ravine with a horrifying roar. Its presence alone terrified the warriors who didn't expect this.

Acting quickly, the warriors scattered away, avoiding the snake's big mouth. "N-No way! Over five hundred years passed since "The Lord of Terror" surfaced!" One of them yelled the information, completely frightened by the snake's appearance.

With a scowl on his face, the leader lifted his tightly closed fist. "Damn you; you cursed brat! Do you even know what you've done!?" He wanted to find and beat him to death, but with the great snake's appearance, he needed to change priorities. After what the Saiyan brat has done, he couldn't allow his fellow people to witness the terror of the legendary beast.

While the Royal Guard of planet Kabocha was having their hands full with the giant snake, Raditz was flying as fast as he could. In the process of bringing the damn snake out in the open, he broke an arm and probably some ribs. As he continued to fly, the more it hurt. His vision was disoriented, but through sheer will alone, he pushed onward.

It took at least forty minutes for the young Saiyan to find the location of his pod. "F-Finally..." He muttered as he landed close to the pod. As he punched the top of the pod, the metal hatchet started to open. "C-Cmon, faster you piece of junk..." Even a weak breeze would be able to knock him down at this point. It was only a moment before everything went dark in front of his eyes.

Once it was open, Raditz dropped inside and, through some pain, adjusted himself properly. His tail was hanging over the seat while the hatch slowly closed. Before he started the engine, the Saiyan pressed an emergency button. A mask dropped from the container above his head and, with only one hand, tried to adjust it on his bruised face. The mask provided easier breathing and more oxygen, but it didn't help regarding his vision.

Everything was a blur, and he still needed to type in the coordinates. He reached out, and without even being able to see what he typed on the board, he smashed the launch button. The vibration and sound of the engine were enough to tell him he managed to activate the pod. He dropped his head against the seat, and shortly after, his eyes completely closed.

**.**

Through the vast and lonely space, the space pod moved with astonishing speed. The round pod was engulfed in bright light as it traveled towards its destination. On its long travel, the space pod passed countless planets as well as asteroid fields. Like before, the pod went through one as well. There was barely any room for the already small pod. The space pod was struck by the floating rocks countless times. While the thing was made of a rigid material, an unexpected disaster was bound to happen.

A robotic voice suddenly came to life inside the pod. _"Warning! Critical damage inflicted! Changing course to the nearest habitable planet!" _The unconscious passenger didn't have any idea what was going on at the moment. _"New destination! Planet Earth!" _Forcefully, the space pod changed its course and flew straight for the blue world.

**.**

An unpleasant tremor suddenly woke him. The moment he opened his right eye, all the pain from the battle resurfaced in an instant. He released an intense and painful groan as he tried to endure it. The young teen gritted with his teeth, trying his best to surpass the terrible pain. It made him wonder, why wasn't anyone coming to get him out. The soldiers or whoever was on duty should already be here. Through the pain, he looked down. He was able to see the open doors, but Something wasn't right. Instead of the concrete floor, there was a short green grass.

With his left hand, he took off the mask and somehow pushed himself out. The moment he was out of the pod, he dropped on the ground. Warm sunlight graced his tattered body while he lay on the soft grass. The breeze that passed through the valley somehow eased up the pain. It was nice; he never felt anything like that before. He didn't want to move at all; he would rather stay here than go anywhere else. It was so peaceful, a thing he didn't experience in years.

However, he couldn't do that. He needed to find a place to heal his broken body and, of course, get some answers. It was evident he wasn't back on the station. This planet was vastly different from it. He could tell that much. Slowly, very slowly, the young warrior tried to get up but nothing. This was the end of his short, miserable life—just who would have thought that he would find such a serene place for his last moments.

He waited for death to knock on his doors, but instead, his ears picked a loud noise. If he could guess, it was the sound of a vehicle. He could hear the thing stop somewhere near him. Another noise, Something slammed against Something. There were footsteps as well. Great, he would probably be finished off by some weakling.

"W-Woah, what's that thing!?" There was a voice. "Oh, god! Hey, are you alright, kid!?" He could feel a pair of hands around him and a male voice. It was annoying! If he needed to die, he wanted it to be in peace.

**.**

_"Get up!"_

_All muscles in his body were aching, and this bastard still wanted him to fight? Fine! He would show him what he can do! After all, he was born with the highest battle power in their ranks!_

_After he spat on the ground, he forced his tiny body from the land. With a childish shout, he lunged at the older male who merely blocked his fist with a leg. It infuriated him how he toyed around. The older man wasn't even trying; he stood there with crossed arms and barely fought seriously. He jumped above the man and landed a couple of meters behind. The chubby-looking boy placed his hands forward and fired a barrage of ki blasts all over the place. Some hit the target while most of them just landed near the serious-looking warrior._

_The smoke surrounded the older male. With a simple swing of his hand, he blew the dust away. At that moment, he raised an eyebrow and turned around, catching a little fist. He squeezed the little boy's fist, forcing the child to cry in pain._

_"That wasn't that bad, however, won't work against any experienced warrior. You should..."_

_He didn't want to listen to the man's voice anymore. The boy swung his tail and smacked the older male across the face. "Got you, father!" Despite being caught and in pain, the long-haired child smirked._

_There was a visible annoyance in his father's eyes, but he didn't care. He managed to land a blow, however insignificant it was. Before he was able to say or do anything, he felt a sharp pain in his gut. Shortly after that, his entire world started to spin. Moments later, he was thrown on the ground, and he wasn't even able to lift a finger. _

_All he could hear was a ringing in his ears and a faint voice. "Raditz, don't get cocky around others just because you were born with the highest battle potential amongst us low-class Saiyans. Those ridiculous birth power levels mean nothing in a real battle, remember that!" What was that? Did he hear his father, right? Whatever he was too tired to think anyway._

_Suddenly, he felt his body be lifted and carried. There was no sound; his father didn't say a word after it was over. Even better, he thought because he wasn't in the mood to talk about anything with his wild-haired father._

Out of nowhere, he opened his eyes. Purely running on instinct, he rose from the bed but only to drop back. "What the hell!? Where am I!?" His voice reached no one.

He was by himself in the white room. There were many beds and some instruments near them. The fresh air came through the open window. As he shifted around, he noticed Something was preventing him from moving too much. He looked down and saw his arm covered in Something white. It was stiff and heavy, and mostly getting in the way. He released an annoyed growl as he noticed the same thing on his left leg. Just where the hell was he?

_"I must get out of here!" _Was his first and only thought. He didn't know how he got here, but there was no telling with what kind of people he was dealing with. _"I'll just_ destroy_ this stupid thing!" _The young warrior was just about to destroy the cast with his other fist when somebody walked in.

An older man with a white beard walked in, followed by a red-haired woman. "Well, look who finally decided to wake up!" The older man was joking, but that didn't ease up the Saiyan. "We were anxious about you, especially when you a with such terrible injuries." His dark orbs never lost sight of the man and the woman.

He needed information. "Where am I? What kind of place is this?" Any wrong answer or sudden movements, and he would send the older man and his woman to hell.

"Why, in the hospital. Where else would you be, the amusement park?" The old doctor laughed at his joke while the nurse rolled her brown pupils. "Ah, anyway enough jokes. You were out for quite a while, a whole month, to be exact. It's a miracle you survived; I don't think any other human would if I'm honest." He flipped through the papers attached to Raditz's bed as he spoke.

A whole month!? He was lying here and recovering for so long!? Just on what primitive rock did he land? Wait a minute! If he landed here instead of the station, that could mean only one thing. His space pod suffered some kind of damage! Considering how primitive these people's medical procedures were, was there even a chance of him fixing the pod!? He needed to get out of here and find out how damaged his pod was.

He tried to, but the nurse stopped him. "Now, now, you're not done healing yet, dear." The long-haired warrior shot a murderous glare at the woman, but the stupid creature didn't even notice that.

"You should listen to your lovely nurse, boy. As much as I'm impressed with your healing, you're still in the process of recovery. Another two weeks should be enough before we took off the cast and allow you to leave our hospital."

No way, he wasn't going to stay here for a minute longer! However, a loud growl soon caught everyone's attention. The young Saiyan looked down and finally noticed how hungry he was. He cursed mentally while the doctor and the nurse laughed.

After he adjusted his glasses, the doctor approached the boy. "Don't worry. We have some tasty food here." He stared at the young teen with a smile while the nurse went for the food. "Oh, I do have a question. About that thing, I never saw a human with a tail before. Where you born with it?" This young teen was unusual.

Raditz glanced at his tail and saw it hang from the bed. He took control over his tail and immediately wrapped it around his waist, shocking the doctor. "That answers your question, doctor?" The look on the older man brought out a chuckle from the Saiyan.

"Indeed, it does. You're an interesting kid, not going to lie. Well, I should go now." The doctor turned around and walked towards the doors. Just as he approached, the nurse walked in with food. "Oh, one more thing. The guy who brought you here wanted to know how you were doing. Can we tell him, or will you? The nurse can give you the man's address if you want." He flapped his patient's papers behind his back as he waited for an answer.

That piqued Raditz's interest. Whoever brought him here, knew about the space pod. "No, I'll do it. I want to thank that nice man personally." A devilish smirk appeared on his face.

Yes, the moment this woman gave him the address, he would get out of here. There was no stopping him. "Here's the food, and I'll come back shortly with the address, okay?" Raditz just gave her a nod. His eyes never moved away from the woman until she walked out of the room, leaving him completely alone.

Once the woman left, the first thing he did was smell the food. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. It didn't seem like a wise thing to heal him and then give poisonous food. Not to mention, the food smelled and looked very tasty. Without any self-control, the Saiyan dug in and devoured everything on the plate. When the nurse came back, he requested more and more food, leaving the poor red-haired woman without any words to say.

**.**

The young moonlight shined through the open window, bringing in the cold fresh air. Raditz woke up only a few minutes ago. It was more than enough. His stomach was full, and whatever that old doctor said, he felt fine. After all, he was different from them. He didn't want to wait anymore. The young teen rose from the soft bed and touched the floor with his feet. First, he got rid of the cast on his arm and then with the one on the leg. He also removed the bandages around his torso and dropped everything on the floor.

He walked across the room, naked, heading towards the closet. When he asked the woman about his armor, she said they almost threw it away but eventually decided to keep it. Good for them, because he wasn't thrilled to wear anything else. When he opened the closet, he immediately noticed his garments. After only five minutes, he was ready to leave. He turned around and dashed towards the window, jumping out.

Without any trouble at all, he soared high into the night's sky and flew around. "What's this, I feel light as a feather! The gravity on this planet is nothing!" The long-haired Saiyan burst into laughter as he spun around and dropped down, only to soar up again.

There was also something else. Raditz stopped wasting time and started to fly normally. He brought his fists closer to his face and stared at them. "Something's different. I can feel I got stronger, much stronger!" Too bad, he didn't have a scouter, but he knew his body. There was quite an increase in power, thanks to what happened on planet Kabocha.

He tried to control himself and focus on flying. "Now, let's find out where's my pod. I need to figure out how to get off this rock as soon as possible!" Since he was flying so low and with high speed, the Saiyan created ripples on the sea.


	2. Stuck on Planet Earth?

Countless bright stars were scattered across the clear sky as the young moonlight shined upon the lone figure. The soft wind collided with Raditz's face, but that didn't bother him in the slightest. There was only one thing on his mind, find the location of the man who dropped him at the hospital. The piece of paper in his hand flapped as he flew above the land. From what he could tell, he was on the right track. The red-haired woman explained to him where to go after she handed him the address, so it wouldn't be too complicated to find his "savior."

After almost an hour of flying, he finally decided to descend. His black boots touched the solid ground while his long hair swayed on the wind. From this point, the young teen searched for the man's house on foot. However, he landed in the middle of a field. There wasn't a single house in sight. He took the initial step forward and went on a search.

As he walked, he stumbled upon a fence. The wooden wall spread in miles. He narrowed his dark eyes and saw a dirt road leading somewhere. Without overthinking, he jumped above the wall and followed the road.

It only took him twenty minutes to eventually find something. There was a small house and a stable, not so far from where he was standing. A satisfying smirk appeared on his face. He resumed walking and, in no time, approached the house. The young man stood right under the weak light and observed the place. It was clear to him that whoever lived there was asleep. His black orbs shifted to the right and saw a mailbox. He got closer to it and read the address.

He squeezed the paper in his left hand and threw it away. "This is the place, alright..." The long-haired warrior moved forward and climbed the stairs when he heard some noises. His attention shifted to the stable. Curious, he decided to investigate it.

The young Saiyan put a hand against the wooden door and slowly pushed. There was a weak light coming from inside, which was probably the reason why the animals were agitated. As he walked through the stable, he glanced at the animals inside. They were some sort of pink birds with long necks sticking out of their boxes. For a moment, his stomach growled. He grinned at the possibility of maybe killing one or two and eat it, but that would come later.

He shifted his eyes away from the animals and moved forward until something caught his attention. A light-blue truck was parked inside, but what caused his eyes to widen was the thing on it. His pace quickened, and once he got there, the young teen threw away the green casing, revealing a round object.

It was just as he thought. His unknown savior took the pod. What was the man's reason for it, he didn't know neither did he care. The only thing he cared about was the condition of his pod. Since there wasn't much room on the truck, the long-haired Saiyan lifted the space pod with only one hand and dropped it on the hay that got scattered across the floor.

The Saiyan stood in front of the space pod when he punched the top. While the hatch was slowly coming down, he took his time to inspect the object. He moved around it, trying to find anything wrong with it. His left hand was on the pod all the time until he noticed something. There was a large crack on the rear side of the pod. Drops of sweat started to roll over his young cheeks as he tried to see if anything important was damaged.

For a moment, he backed away from the object so he could take the light. With the light in his hand, the young warrior illuminated the crack on his pod and looked through it. There was something alien inside. He pushed his hand inside and took hold of the thing. When he pulled his hand out, he was able to see a piece of rock, or rather a fraction of a meteorite that got stuck in the pod.

He immediately dropped the light and jumped inside the pod. His fingers moved across the small board while his dark orbs shook. He punched a button on the far right, but nothing. The long-haired warrior tried once again, desperately. There was a weak sound this time, but it only lasted for two seconds. Not knowing what else to do, he smashed the back of his head against the seat.

The young Saiyan lifted his hand and placed it across his face. "N-No, it's not working. What am I going to do!?" His voice started to crack as he tried to think. However, there wasn't a thing he could do.

He didn't know how to fix the pod. It was a job for engineers, and he certainly wasn't one. He knew nothing about that stuff, and even if he did, just where would he find the needed parts? This was a backwater planet, and considering how weak their medical technology developed, there was no way they had anything even remotely advanced that could fix his pod.

The loud growl scared the animals. "Fuck! Now I'm stuck on this wretched rock!" He squeezed the meteorite so hard it turned into dust.

What now? That looming question resonated inside his head. Is he going to spend his entire life here on this planet? The mere thought of that made him nauseous. However, that wasn't the only thing on his mind.

His tail shifted around nervously as he thought of that. "Vegeta and Freeza, they'll think I abandoned my mission and ran away!" The teen's entire body shook like a leaf. "I-I'll be considered a traitor and executed! N-No..." He could barely breathe.

The young Saiyan needed air. He pulled himself out of the pod and ran toward the door. Before he reached the wooden door, he fell on the ground. While he was on the floor, images of Freeza flashed before his trembling eyes. He knew what kind of punishment he would get. His death wouldn't be swift and merciless.

And what of Vegeta and Nappa? They would think he was nothing but a disgrace to their entire warrior race. This would taint his entire bloodline.

While his tightly closed fist trembled on the ground, a single tear fell across his cheek. "Somehow, I must find a way out of this rock! There must be a solution to this. It must be!" His scream followed with a strong punch.

The whole place shook and created cracks on the ground. Between the bird's loud noises, the Saiyan caught another sound. He raised his head and saw a person lying on the floor. Instantly, he rose from the ground and shifted into an attack mode.

"Ouch, my head..." The man held the back of his head without even noticing someone was there. As the pain slowly passed, he searched for his glasses that fell on the floor. "Oh, they're here! Now, what could've..." After he adjusted the glasses properly, he finally realized there was an unknown person in the stable.

He quickly jumped on his feet and illuminated the person with the flashlight. "W-Who are you!? What are you doing in my..." The black-haired man stopped talking when he saw the young teen's face. "It's you! The injured boy who I took to the hospital! What are you doing here!?" There was an evident concern in his tone.

Raditz clenched his teeth as the short male closed the distance. He was ready to strike the weakling, vent out his frustration, but that never happened. The stranger who saved his life put a hand over his shoulder and stared at him. He was able to see the man filled with worry toward him, a stranger who dropped out of the sky. How foolish, he thought. The people on this planet were a bunch of softies driven by useless emotions.

Before he was able to act, the chubby, older male, spoke to him again. "Well, there doesn't seem anything wrong with you. I guess the doctor released you earlier..." The stranger sighed with relief and moved away from him. "Why don't you come inside the house? You can use a shower while I prepare some food for you. After that, we'll talk about that strange thing." Raditz raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He glared at the older man's back for a couple of seconds. This was weird. Was the man so simpleminded that it didn't notice his intentions? He was about to kill the poor fool, and yet, the guy didn't even realize that. Are their instincts for danger so dull? The young Saiyan forcefully snapped out of his thoughts because his stomach released a rumble. He let out a low grunt, annoyed at himself for being hungry at a time like this. Maybe he should take the man's offer. It was unlikely the man would try something and who knows, there might be some information to squeeze out of his savior.

**.**

The sound of water died. He emerged from the steamed shower and took the towel that was near him. Once he dried himself, the Saiyan dropped the towel on the floor and approached the small table. He lifted the clothes that lay on the machine. The garments that were left for him were quite colorful, but the Saiyan decided to wear them just this time. Raditz put on a tight white shirt with some red and purple drawings on it. He turned the red pants and poked a hole in them for his tail. While his tail waved behind the back, he moved his eyes toward the doors where the black boots were located.

He walked down the wooden stairs when his nose picked up a scent. It smelled nice, and his stomach once again released a loud growl. The young teen cursed under his breath as he approached the kitchen. When he set a foot inside, his eyes widened at the food on the table. Without even realizing it, Raditz sat down and began to eat.

Raditz was already on the third plate when the guy walked into the kitchen. "Oh, I see you already started. I take you like it." The messy-haired male smiled while the Saiyan offered no reply. "Almost a year passed since I cooked food for someone else..." There was a hint of sadness in the man's voice as he picked up a cup of coffee and joined Raditz on the table.

The long-haired warrior narrowed his dark eyes and spoke between the bites. "What's your deal, old man? Why are you here, in the middle of nowhere all by yourself?" After he swallowed a large piece of meat like it was nothing, Raditz took a glass of water and drunk it.

"Huh, isn't it nice here? There's nothing but vast green fields, and on clear sunny days, you can see the large mountains. Besides, my birds need a lot of space to run around." The man laughed for a second before taking a sip of coffee. "But, I wasn't alone until a year ago..." Raditz noticed the shift in the man's tone and looked at him.

It was clear the man was living with someone else here. On his way, he saw an open room filled with clothes and other stuff. The man probably had a family, but something happened to them. Either way, he couldn't care less. The only thing he cared about was to find a solution to his problem. He needed to solve his problem and quickly, otherwise it would be the end of him.

"Whatever..." The Saiyan dropped the fork on the table and decided to ask some questions. "You know I'm not of this world, so why did you bother to help me?" Raditz focused his glare at the man across the table and waited.

The farmer blinked in confusion and scratched his cheek before replying. "Why wouldn't I help you? When I got to you, you were lying in your blood. What else could I do? Of course, I'd help you. It's what humans do." A big smile appeared on his face as he continued. "I almost fainted when I realized that, but I guess I got over that pretty quick, huh?" He burst into loud laughter as he pulled his head back.

Raditz couldn't believe the nonsense he just heard. "Hmph, you have my gratitude." He won't comment on the man's stupid reasons, but at least he appreciated the help, no matter how foolish it was.

"However, it seems my pod sustained damage I can't fix. Do you know if there's anyone on your planet who's capable of repairing it?" His chances of finding someone intelligent in restoring his pod on this planet was minimal. Sweat rolled over his nose as he waited for an answer.

The chubby man placed a hand under his chin and thought about it. "Well, I tried to take a peek on that thing of yours, and I couldn't even figure out how to open it. But, maybe you could ask the guys over at Capsule Corp. If there's anyone on Earth who has a chance of fixing it, it's those guys." He leaned toward a small cabinet and picked something from it.

Raditz observed what the man was doing until the farmer handed him over a magazine. "Right there, on the cover, is the most intelligent man in this world, Dr. Briefs. The guy created a bunch of awesome stuff if anyone can help you; it's him." The Saiyan stared at the image of the man and flipped through some pages.

He gently leaned against the chair and read some information about this Dr. Briefs. _"Hm, could this man fix something as sophisticated as my pod?" _There were some doubts about that, but the more he read about Dr. Brief and his inventions, the more he considered seeking him out.

However, Raditz suddenly raised his head. Earth, so that was the name of the planet he crashed. He didn't know why, but that name sounded familiar. The young teen tried to figure out why it seemed like he heard the name of the planet before, but the Saiyan quickly dropped it. He had more important things to worry about, but at least now he knew the name of this planet.

The Saiyan abruptly rose from his chair, scaring the older man who almost spilled the coffee. "Uhh, I almost ruined my shirt... Hey, where are you going?" Raditz was already at the door when the voice stopped him.

"Where else? To find that man and drag him here to fix my space pod!"

The farmer's mouth almost fell to the floor. He shook his head and approached the young man. "You can't do that. It's the middle of the night! Listen, why don't you sleep here and in the morning I'll try to call the Capsule Corp. They have their number printed in the magazine. I bet they'll be interested in your pod when they hear about that." The farmer gestured with his hand toward the stairs as he smiled at the young warrior.

There was a moment of silence. The Saiyan thought about his options. He wanted to have his space pod fixed right away, but maybe it wasn't the right approach. Raditz turned around and stared at the older male. He didn't like this kindness; it was weird. But, he couldn't deny that he needed some proper rest. After all, this weak and fragile man couldn't do a thing to him anyway.

**.**

A new day was on the horizon. The sunlight graced the valley and the pink birds that were already out of the stable. Near the parked truck, the kind man collected the hay and spread it over the field. He wiped out the sweat from his face with a small towel and took a break. The lonely man walked toward his truck to pick up a bottle when he saw the young teen in front of the house. He wanted to call him out but never managed because of the shock. His eyes almost fell out when he saw the long-haired warrior carry the pod with only one hand.

"A-Amazing, he's so strong..." He mumbled the words and shook his head as he started to walk further from the truck.

Raditz closed the hatch of his pod and was ready to get it fixed; the only thing he needed was the genius weakling. Just as he was about to go and look for the earthling, a familiar voice forced him to turn around.

"Sheesh, you're incredibly strong, aren't you? Maybe you should participate in World Martial Arts Tournament."

That caught the warrior's attention for a moment. "Hn, what's that, and when it starts?" Perhaps he could spend some time beating the earthlings while his pod gets fixed.

He lit up a cigar before responding. "It's the greatest fighting tournament in the world! Only the most skilled and strongest fighters get a chance to compete in the finals! Let me tell you; the last tournament was crazy!" It was two years ago, but he could remember all the fights clearly.

The Saiyan could tell the man was getting excited by talking about that. "The final match was something else. A kid named Son Goku, I think, fought against Jackie Chun and almost won! Nobody could even follow their movements; they were on a whole different level from other fighters!" Raditz raised an eyebrow as the man punched the air.

Oh, his blood was boiling with excitement now. He wanted to challenge those guys, and beat them, show how insignificant they were compared to him. "The next tournament is only a year away..." A year!? This man was out of his mind. He wasn't going to spend a week, let alone a year here!

"Tch, never mind then. Tell me, did you arrange the meeting with that Dr. Briefs?"

The man calmed down and released a cough, realizing he was getting too excited. "Ahm, yes, I did. They seemed very interested in what I told them over the phone. So much, they'll personally come here in two hours." A smirk appeared on his face. He was glad he could be of some help to the teen who remained him of someone dear.

A wave of relief washed over him. At least, there was some progress. Now all he needed to do was to sit back and wait. "Good, I'll be back by then." Without even bothering to explain, Raditz took off in the sky, surprising the farmer once again.

**.**

Drops of sweat slid down his jawline and dripped on the grass from his chin. The young warrior spent his time training far away from the farmer's house. After he warmed up, he worked out on his combat skills. He moved fast and precise across the sky as he punched and kicked an invisible enemy. As he descended on the soil, he swiftly moved around, causing his long hair to sway wildly. Once that was over, the Saiyan dropped on the ground and began with push-ups.

He tried to focus on his training and strength. The last battle gave him a considerable boost in power. He never felt such an increase; he was stronger than ever before. A proud smirk was on his face. Indeed Vegeta and Nappa would be surprised. He couldn't wait to show them, but before doing that, he would need to explain himself. It wasn't his fault. The reports were wrong. Indeed they would consider that and let him go without any repercussions.

His mind drifted away as he pushed his body up. For some reason, he thought of the old farmer. Except for his late mother, he never encountered someone so foolishly kind. How could someone be like that and not realize the possible danger was beyond him. He was as clueless as that doctor and nurse. Perhaps all earthlings were so stupid and guided by unnecessary emotions. They were lucky their planet wasn't on Freeza's list because he would eradicate them swiftly. Who knows, maybe if he cleaned the whole world, Freeza would be pleased?

Raditz tossed that thought away when he heard a loud noise above him. He rose from the ground and looked at the sky. There was a yellow vehicle flying toward the farmer's house. Those were the people from Capsule Corp. he was sure of it. Raditz immediately picked up the shirt from the ground and put it on. The Saiyan followed the flying vehicle on foot.

**.**

The yellow aircraft landed a couple of meters from the house. Once the ramp was down, several people walked out of the vehicle. Among them was the famous Dr. Briefs, accompanied by a young blue-haired girl. While he slowly and casually walked toward the farmer, the blue-haired girl was mesmerized by the round object.

"Dad, you need to see this! I admit I was suspicious about the call, but this is truly amazing!" Her voice was loud and beaming with excitement while she walked around the small space pod.

Meanwhile, Dr. Brief was talking with the farmer. "That's quite a discovery. Where did you find it?" With one hand in his pocket, Dr. Briefs turned his gaze toward the pod.

"A couple of days ago, while I was feeding my birds, I heard a loud noise from the sky. Once I looked up, I saw a burning thing falling and crashing on the ground. Now, I admit I was scared, but also curious. I jumped in my truck and went to see it. My bet was it was only a meteorite, but when I got there, I..."

Before the good man could finish, the young Saiyan just arrived. "Hmph, I take it you're Dr. Briefs..." Raditz inspected the lavender-haired man with his dark orbs from top to bottom. "I heard you're quite an intelligent man. So, can you fix it?" The warrior's voice and expression gave away how serious he indeed was.

Dr. Briefs took the cigar out of his mouth and replied. "Well, I'm not sure." That made the Saiyan's eyebrow to twitch. "We never had to deal with alien technology. It could take weeks, months to scan it and find what's wrong with it. After that, we'd need to discover or recreate the appropriate material to fix it." He approached the pod and placed a hand on it, ignoring the increasingly annoyed Saiyan.

"It's going to take a while, but we should be able to make this little thing functioning again. Don't you think so, Bulma?"

Raditz shifted his eyes toward the blue-haired woman. "You can count on that! There's not a thing in this world that can't be fixed by me!" Her arrogant and loud laughter irritated him, but not more than the fact of him staying here longer.

If only he had the remote controller or the scouter with him, he could call for a backup pod. He cursed the warriors of planet Kabocha for destroying it together with his armor. The Saiyan squeezed his fists to the point they almost started to bleed. He was stuck here on this boring planet for who knows how long. That wasn't good, not at all.

While he was preoccupied with his thoughts, Raditz wasn't aware someone tried to talk with him. "Hello, are you deaf!?" Realizing she was trying to talk to him, Raditz glanced at her. "Oh, good, he can hear! Anyway, you don't look alien to me. I thought aliens were small, green, and I don't know, weird-looking." He couldn't believe her stupidity.

The Saiyan crossed his muscular arms and glared at her. "Tch, it only shows how far behind you earthlings are. There's a lot you don't know, and trust me, your feeble kind wouldn't be able to comprehend." A wicked smirk appeared on his face as he observed her.

She didn't like his tone. "Hmph, you're wrong if you think that! Trust me; I can take anything!" Bulma placed both hands on her hips and held her head proudly high.

She amused Raditz, but his attention shifted elsewhere. "Well, I say we take this pod with us and start analyzing it. I'm very excited to start working on this project." Dr. Briefs called his workers and told them to put the pod inside the vehicle safely.

The young Saiyan turned around, allowing his tail to sway behind him. "A tail!? Is that a real t-tail!?" The loud screech hurt his ears. He wanted to kill the blue-haired girl, but her perplexed expression brought some confusion.

Raditz blinked a few times and noticed his tail lazily swaying behind. He released a low growl. Since there was no sight of danger, he got too relaxed and allowed his tail to wave behind the back. His eyes drifted toward the girl. The way she posed the question seemed as if it wasn't the first time she saw something like that.

He curled his fuzzy tail around his waist before speaking to her. "Yes, it's real. Why..." Raditz couldn't even finish what he wanted to say or ask because the girl was walking around him. "Girl, what are you doing!?" He turned around and barked at her.

"Bulma, my name is Bulma!" She pointed at her chest as she said her name. "Sorry, it's just weird. My friend had a very similar tail before it got cut off." Bulma moved away from the tall stranger and wondered how her little friend was doing.

His jaw almost dropped. Sweat rolled over his forehead. He was sure it was just his imagination. Did the woman just imply there was someone like him on this planet? Impossible! The woman was mistaken. There was no way a Saiyan was here, on this planet. Nobody survived their home world's explosion beside him, Vegeta and Nappa.

He wanted to ask more about her friend but never got a chance. "Anyway, you can come with us if you want. There's a lot of stuff you'll find interesting here on Earth while you wait for my dad and me to fix your pod!" Raditz looked at her and saw an extended hand and a big, warm smile on her pretty face.


	3. Sudden Discovery!

While the aircraft continued its flight across the blue sky, the Saiyan patiently waited for them to reach their destination. He was sitting on his own, far away from the earthlings. His dark eyes were locked on the secured pod as he tried to think of his current situation. It wasn't right, no matter how much he wanted, his space pod won't get repaired anytime soon. His eyebrow twitched while his expression twisted into a scowl. Who knows what Vegeta and Nappa were thinking right now. They were probably making fun of him, how he got killed on his first solo mission.

He could already imagine the treatment his comrades would get from Freeza and others. As if it wasn't enough that everyone in the Freeza Force already ridiculed them. But was it his fault? No, it was not. He curled his hands into solid fists as he thought about Zarbon.

A throbbing vein appeared on his forehead as he thought about Freeza's guard. _"That bastard! It's his fault I'm stuck here! He was the one who sent me to that planet, so it should be him to receive punishment! After all, he's handling the scouts..." _At that moment, Raditz's eyes widened.

Drops of sweat slid down his face as he thought more and more about Zarbon and the whole situation. _"Wait, could it be he purposely sent me there? W-Was planet Kabocha a setup!?" _The young warrior dropped his head down and tried to solve the puzzle.

His mind was racing. True, their kind was often spat on and hated even amongst other soldiers in the Freeza Force, but would Zarbon arrange something like this? Did he do that out of spite or under Freeza's orders? Completely unaware, his breathing was out of control. His entire body was shaking the more he thought of that. He couldn't understand why would Zarbon or Freeza orchestrate that. They were loyal to him, no matter how much they hated Freeza. Perhaps, he was overthinking.

Raditz wasn't even aware someone was standing right in front of him until a loud voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Helloooo, what's wrong with you!? Can't you answer when someone asks you a question?" He immediately lifted his head and saw the noisy girl glaring at him.

He was already in a foul mood, but he was sure this blue-haired creature was going to cause him a headache. "Tch, what do you want, girl!?" He snapped back at her, startling her a bit, which brought some entertainment at least.

However, that soon backfired. Instead of quivering, Bulma yelled at Raditz. "Why you... My name's Bulma! Can't you remember that? Maybe we should fix your brain instead of the pod!" Bulma crossed her arms and glared at the long-haired warrior who could only stare in disbelief.

As he stared at her, he couldn't believe the nerve of this puny girl. Usually, people would be frightened, but there was no hint of fear in her blue eyes. He didn't know if he should be pissed because of it or amused. He smirked a little as he leaned back and crossed his legs.

"Hn, you're a feisty one, Bulma." He closed his eyes while Bulma blinked a few times, surprised he even said her name. "Anyway, what do you want?" The young Saiyan raised both arms and put his hands behind the head.

"Well, since you're going to live with us, it's only natural to get to know each other. Besides, you never introduced yourself."

He remained silent for a couple of seconds. His eyes never stirred away from hers. He thought what was the point of it, but decided to cooperate. "The name's Raditz, a proud Saiyan warrior, and that's pretty much all you need to know about me." He could see the confused look in her eyes, but he didn't care.

What took him by surprise was her next move. Bulma sat close to him, her mind filled with countless questions. "It's nice to meet you, Raditz." Her smile made the long-haired warrior a bit uncomfortable. "You said you're a Saiyan warrior. Is that the name of your race? Are you a martial artist?" The questions just kept rolling.

Raditz couldn't believe how much this girl could talk, and there were so many questions. Luckily enough, her father stepped in. "Bulma, we're home!" At the sound of the older man's voice, she got up and took a step forward.

"Eh, I'll get your answers later. I'm sure mom already prepared lunch, so we'll talk later."

The Saiyan didn't utter a word back. He simply stared at her back as she walked to her father. After a few short seconds, Raditz just released a sigh and turned his head away. As he scratched his head, he couldn't but wonder if accepting the offer to live with them was a wise decision. However, having real food and a proper place to sleep was very appealing. So, he would take their offer, but the fate of their lives was in his hands. Just thinking of that, brought back that devilish smirk.

**.**

He couldn't stop blinking. The moment he got out of the aircraft, he was startled by a blonde-haired woman who immediately threw her hands on him. Her hands were tightly secured around his arm as she gave him a tour through the estate. He quickly figured out this blabbering woman was Bulma's mother. With each second that passed, the urge to end her life was growing. However, the loud growl emitting from his stomach caused Bulma's mother to halt.

"Oh, dear! You should've told me you were hungry. Why don't we go to the kitchen so you can eat? I've already made lunch. I'll leave it to Bulma to show you your room later, okay?"

Finally, he would get rid of this nuisance. His only reply was a nod on which the woman started to giggle. Raditz raised an eyebrow, wondering what was so funny. It caught the Saiyan off guard when she leaned against his arm as they resumed walking. He was able to feel her against his skin, which caused his tail to twitch. His cheeks were slightly red as he looked at her. After staring down for a couple of seconds, Raditz shook his head and released an annoyed growl as he shifted his eyes elsewhere. It was then when he caught a glimpse of a huge garden inside the house.

He never saw anything like that before. Amongst various animals, there was a small-like forest and a pool where the creatures drank water. The warrior stared at that for almost a minute, feeling somewhat relaxed. He suddenly snapped out of it when he smelled food. His pace sped up, causing some trouble for Bulma's mother to follow.

Once they set foot in the kitchen, his eyes were wide open. While he stood there, staring at the marvelous-looking food, Bulma and her father passed by and sat down. He didn't move from the spot until the blonde woman offered him to join. Without even thinking, Raditz sat down and began devouring everything.

While Raditz was going through the plates like he never saw food before, Bulma and her family could only stare at the sight in front of them. As she observed his way of eating, Bulma couldn't but think of someone.

A smile appeared on her face as she put down the fork. "You know, the way you eat reminds me of Goku. I wonder what's the little guy doing right now?" Bulma could only imagine what her wild-haired friend was doing or where he was.

After he swallowed a big piece of meat, Raditz slammed the fourth plate against the table and stirred his orbs in her way. "This Goku, you've spoken about him before..." He took a sip of water after he remembered how she mentioned a guy named Goku who had a tail like him.

"Could you describe him? Sounds like an interesting character." Raditz knew it was ridiculous even to imagine, but what if a Saiyan was here, on this very planet?

The likelihood of that was slim, purely because they were still alive. If a Saiyan were here, Bulma and her family, along with the entire human race, would be long gone. He didn't even know why he still clung to that, maybe somewhere deep down he wished for another member of his race to be alive. The long-haired warrior wanted to slap himself, letting foolish emotions cloud his mind was a weakness.

"Well, while he's dumb and obsessed with fighting, there's no one as kind and gentle as him." She continued to smile as she thought of her little friend. " You know, now that I think about it, you're kind of similar. Both of you got that monkey tail and ridiculous hair. Once, I tried to wash his hair, but not even with shampoo or water did that wild hair of his go down as it should." Bulma released a laugh as she remembered her days with Goku when she first met him.

Raditz's hand was shaking. Slowly and carefully, he placed the glass on the table. "Bulma dear, don't we have a photo of Goku and all your cute friends somewhere?" He instantly shifted his attention from her to Bulma, eagerly awaiting the answer with suspense.

Bulma thought about it for almost a minute or two, which annoyed the Saiyan. "You're right, mom. I think it's on the desk in my room. I'll go get it!" She happily hopped off her chair and went upstairs, leaving Raditz to boil for several minutes.

While he waited for Bulma to get the photo, a drop of sweat started to slid down Raditz's temple. There was a strange feeling deep inside his gut. He didn't know what to make of it. How could it be possible for a Saiyan to be here? It didn't make sense! Kind? Gentle? He never encountered a Saiyan who cared about others. Well, his mother was an exception, and to this day, he couldn't figure out what made her so different from the rest. He didn't think of her or his father ever since he received a message their planet got destroyed.

He took another, a long sip of water to cool down. Raditz paid no attention to Bulma's parents, who discussed some nonsense with each other. If there was a Saiyan in this world, then he needed to find and confront him. There were a lot of questions to be answered. Like, why he didn't exterminate the entire population and the most important one, why didn't he report back?

Raditz's face twisted into a scowl as he thought about it. The grip around the glass was too much, and it created cracks all over it. "I found it! This brings back so many memories! We took this photo right after the last tournament!" The young warrior immediately glanced in Bulma's way.

The moment she extended her hand with a photo, Raditz snatched it away before Bulma could notice it. "Hey, what's with you!? You don't need to be so rough!" She glared at him, angry about his impulsive behavior, but Bulma quickly noticed something was wrong.

His black pupils shook; they were almost transparent as he stared at the little child with wild hair and a monkey tail. For Raditz, it felt like time froze. The Saiyan paid no mind to other people in the photo. His focus was on the happy-looking child. Raditz, the proud warrior, slowly tried to move his mouth, attempting to form some words.

"K-K... K-Kakarot..."

As soon as he uttered that name, a blast from the past hit the Saiyan. Locked and forgotten memories emerged. He could see the baby face of his younger brother, as well as the happy smile of his mother. As the drop of sweat slid down his cheek, the voice of his late mother echoed in his head. All these things suddenly came together. Now it made sense why the name of the planet seemed like he heard somewhere before. This was the world his younger and feeble brother needed to conquer.

While the initial shock was slowly fading, a sudden wave of anger overcame the warrior. The glass shattered to tiny pieces, scaring Bulma and her mother. Before they could process it, Raditz stood up and dangerously came close to Bulma.

"Where is he!? Speak, or I'll level-up the entire city!" His menacing eyes and tone frightened Bulma, who didn't understand what suddenly got into him.

Bulma's parents just wondered what was going on, not realizing what could happen if Bulma gave a wrong answer. However, the blue-haired genius simply placed a finger on Raditz's chest and shouted at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you!? You can't speak to me with that kind of tone!" She held her ground as she poked the warrior several times. "Besides, what got you so rilled up!? It's just a picture with Goku in it. There's no way you could know him!" Bulma took hold of the photo and took it away from Raditz and turned her back to him.

He simply stood there, like a statue and watched as she walked out of the kitchen, mumbling something to herself. Raditz's mind was completely blank. All the anger from before vanished. He didn't know what just happened and how to process it. Instead of curling his fingers around her tiny neck, he let her go just like that. Was there something wrong with him? Maybe there was something weird going on with this planet? After all, his younger brother seemed very friendly in that photo. Irritated, Raditz stormed out of the kitchen, leaving the married couple to themselves, completely confused.

**.**

Sweat dripped from his chin as he pushed his body further from the ground. The muscles on his arms tensed as he repeated the same exercise over and over. For almost two hours, he was doing his workout, ever since he discovered that his younger brother was still alive. To think he crash-landed on the same planet as Kakarot. He didn't know if it was fate, coincidence, or pure luck. However, that didn't matter as much as what his brother was doing.

He couldn't but think why his little brother didn't complete the mission. Maybe his brother was just playing with them. Or, the poor fool was still so weak that he took his time to grow stronger before he could finish them. Whatever it was, he needed to find him and get answers.

Maybe landing here wasn't as bad as it seemed. With the little brother alive, they could add him to the Freeza Force and conquer other planets much faster. A smirk appeared on Raditz's face as he thought of that. Suddenly, he used more power and thrust himself into the air. He spun in the air before he safely landed on the ground. His tail waved around as he took a towel so he could wipe the sweat from his face and muscular torso.

As he placed the towel around his neck, Raditz seized the bottle. All he needed to get was his brother's location from the girl. What happened before would never reoccur. Her behavior and will simply took him by surprise; after all, she was completely unaware of what kind of man he was. With an evil grin on his face, Raditz lowered the bottle, causing the drops of water to fall on the ground. He turned around and decided to head to his room, take a shower, and find Bulma.

On his way, the Saiyan pushed away from the leaves that came in the way. He was able to hear someone's voice echo through the garden, but he paid no mind to it. Raditz was focused on more important stuff until he felt something drop on his shoulder. He shifted his eyes and saw a black cat holding tight to his right shoulder. The long-haired warrior stared at the fuzzy creature, wondering what was wrong with it. He was about to yell at it when the older man came into his view.

"Oh, there you are. I was looking all over the place for you." Dr. Briefs extended his hands and took hold of the cat who continued to stare at Raditz. "We just received the food you love the most..." Bulma's father halted for a moment when he realized Raditz was just standing there, staring.

"Is there something troubling you, young man? If it's about your space pod, don't worry, we're already scanning the entire thing. Shouldn't take too long before we figure out what to do."

When he heard that, Raditz came back to reality. "Hmph, good." His response was short. He observed the man who began feeding the cat and took this chance to ask where she was. "Where's your daughter? I need to ask her some questions." The warrior crossed his arms as he waited for the scientist to reply.

Dr. Briefs patted his little cat a few times and smiled before he rose from the ground. "Well, since she took off so angry, I think she should be in the lab. Whenever something bothers her, she closes herself in there and starts fixing or inventing new stuff..." Bulma's father exhaled the smoke from his lungs as he put the cigarette down.

Raditz took notice of that and walked by the older man. "Hn." Was his response as he headed to his room.

**.**

The young warrior walked down the stairs and felt weird wearing earth's clothes. He was wearing black pants and a purple shirt with red and blue flowers drawn on it. Ever since he was born, the only thing he wore was a battle armor, like a proper warrior should. A long sigh escaped from his mouth as he walked towards the laboratory, hoping to find Bulma there. He just passed around the corner when he noticed a light coming from a room. The Saiyan narrowed his eyes and headed there.

He pushed the door quietly and looked around. He saw countless gadgets on the floor and machines. As he moved forward, he accidentally kicked his old and broken gauntlets. He picked one up and stared at it until he heard a voice from behind.

"Hmph, just great! The last person I wanted to see. What are you doing here, anyway?"

She was still angry with him, but like he cared. He put the old gauntlet on the nearby desk and spoke to her as she walked by him. "I need some answers, and the only one capable of providing them is you." Raditz followed her movements with his dark spheres until she sat on the chair.

Bulma mumbled something under her breath as she brought the lamp closer. "Really? And why should I after that rude outburst earlier? Can't you see I'm busy!?" She tried to focus her mind on what was in front of her, but it was difficult with Raditz.

The Saiyan's eyebrow twitched at that response, but he kept his head calm. "And what are you doing that's so important? You're not working on anything pod related because it's still in scanning process..." He took a step forward and approached her.

As he closed the distance, Raditz was surprised when he saw a sketch on the table. "What's this?" If his eyes weren't misleading him, that was some kind of armor prototype.

"Back off! I'm still trying to figure out the materials I can use to replicate the armor. It's an initial plan; I'm not even sure if I'll be able to make it!" There was frustration in her voice as she swung her left hand.

Raditz wasn't sure if he should mock her for trying the impossible or praise her. While he liked the idea of new armor, it didn't matter as much as finding his younger brother.

"Hn, how about this... We trade information." As soon as he said that, Bulma turned around, interested in what she was hearing. "You ask me whatever you want about alien technology, of course, consider that I'm a warrior and not a scientist, so my knowledge is limited." Raditz leaned against the desk and glared straight into her blue eyes.

A smirk appeared on Bulma's face as she frowned. "Let me guess; you want information about Goku?" His nod was the only reply she received. However, she was curious to know why he was so obsessed with Goku.

"Alright, I agree, but first tell me why? Why are you so interested in Goku when you guys never met?"

Bulma lifted her hand and gently moved a single lock of hair from her forehead as she waited for Raditz to answer. The Saiyan seemed hesitant at first but eventually opened his mouth.

Raditz stirred his eyes away and crossed his muscular arms as he uttered the words that would shock Bulma. "That's where you're wrong, Bulma. I know him too well. After all, he's my younger brother and a member of our proud, warrior race just like myself." His serious expression never disappeared from his face as he thought of his brother, whom he considered dead all these years.


	4. Kame House!

_First of all, allow me to welcome all the new readers and followers! _

_Any kind of criticism or thoughts on this fan fiction is appreciated._

_Also, I must apologize for bad grammar, error, or punctuation._

* * *

Silence. Neither said a single word. The only sound that was able to be heard was that of the engine. While they soared through the vast blue sky, for quite some time already, they didn't say a word to each other. Maybe for the better or at least, she thought so. She still couldn't believe what this long-haired man revealed to her. Her hands shook merely thinking about that. Slowly and carefully, so he wouldn't notice, she glanced in his way. As he stared outside the window, her blue-eyes locked on him. Her mind was racing, reminiscing what he told her two days ago.

**.**

_ "That's where you're wrong, Bulma. I know him too well. After all, he's my younger brother and a member of our mighty warrior race just like myself."_

It took some time before her brain regained all functions. _"Uhm, s-sorry? What are you talking about?" _A forced smile appeared on her face. _"You're joking, right? Goku and you, brothers? There's no way! That would mean he's an alien!" _Drops of sweat slid down her smooth skin as she nervously glanced back at the papers on the desk.

She didn't want to accept that. It was too ridiculous. After all, she knew the little guy for a while now. She was on many adventures with him, and sure, Goku did seem strange sometimes, but that didn't mean he was an alien. The only thing that was out of place was that weird tail of his and unrealistic strength. Suddenly, however, she stopped looking through the papers. The papers fell on the table when she remembered two more occasions where Goku looked nothing like a human.

Seconds, minutes passed before she summoned the courage to speak. _"During the full moon, Goku transformed into a gigantic ape. Don't tell me you're able to do so as well?" _She hoped the answer would be a big no, but deep inside, she already knew what kind of reply Raditz would give her.

_"Yes. It's a natural ability we Saiyans have since birth. I'm surprised you managed to survive."_

Her mind was in shambles. For a moment, she thought Raditz was telling lies, but then again, why would he? He looked pretty upset when he saw Goku in the picture. Yes, he never expected to find Goku here. His outburst earlier now made sense. However, it was still hard to believe that her friend Goku was an alien.

Abruptly, she got up and glared at Raditz. _"Alright! If what you say is true, then tell me why is Goku here? What's he doing here on planet Earth?" _Her voice was loud but slowly cracking down.

Raditz was silent for almost a minute, and that was killing here. She was about to yell at him, but he finally started to talk. _"Honestly, I thought my brother was dead." _Raditz took a step forward and slowly walked around the laboratory.

_"I can only assume Kakarot came here to survive. You see, our home, planet Vegeta was destroyed by a meteor shower. Ever since then, I had to survive on my own, travel from one planet to another. I didn't have time or luxury to think of my brother."_

The frown disappeared. Bulma lifted both hands and placed them in front of her mouth. Now she felt terrible. She never expected to hear such a tragic story. If anything, she expected to listen to some lame excuse or how they abandoned Goku. But that didn't seem to be the case. Tears began to roll over her cheeks as she stared at Raditz's back.

She suppressed her weak voice and took some time before speaking. _"I-I'm sorry. Now that you said all of that to me, I feel bad because I don't know where Goku is. Master Roshi told him to travel around the world and grow stronger until the tournament."_ She picked a tissue from her pocket and tried to wipe away the tears from her face.

Raditz didn't say a word, which made her think he was sad or disappointed, however. _"Maybe there is a way to find Goku. We must go to Master Roshi's island and talk with him." _A bright smile appeared on her face as she said that.

Yes, there was a way to find Goku. All they needed to do was go to Master Roshi and have him call his sister. She was sure they could locate him with Baba's help. Goku was alone in that forest for all those years, and finally, a living member of his family was here. She didn't know if it was luck or fate, but it didn't matter. There was no way she would just sit back when Goku's brother was here. She would do anything for Goku to see that happy and silly smile on his face again. However, Bulma wasn't aware of Raditz's wicked expression and a diabolic grin that was on his face.

**.**

Bulma released a sigh and stirred her eyes forward. To think Goku was an alien, it was weird, but at the same time, it made sense. No wonder he was so strong and able to adapt so fast. It also explained his ridiculous eating habits. A smile appeared on her pretty face while she piloted the jet. She just couldn't wait to reunite the two brothers again.

"Hey, we're about five minutes from the island. I wonder if Yamcha and Krillin are still training."

Upon hearing that, he shifted his head away from the window. "Good." Was his only response as he adjusted himself in the seat.

The long-haired Saiyan was quite curious to meet the man who trained his brother. He needed to get some answers so he could understand what his younger brother was doing all these years. It was confusing. He assured himself that Kakarot was tricking them, but the way she spoke of his brother was troubling. This whole situation was stressful and annoying. He needed to find him as fast as possible.

His hand curled into a fist. Just thinking of Kakarot and that happy-looking face made him angry. He feared the worst outcome. If his darkest doubts were to be confirmed, then he didn't know how to proceed. Just thinking of that made him agitated. Suddenly, he snapped out of his thoughts when he felt they were descending.

He looked out the window and saw a small island surrounded by water. There were only a house and a couple of palm trees. His dark eyes caught a glimpse of a person standing outside. It was probably one of Bulma's friends who was training here, under that martial arts master. Since he didn't have his scouter, he was somewhat interested in finding out how strong they were.

Finally, they landed and were able to get out of the jet. The moment they got out of the aircraft, a short and bald child greeted them. "Bulma! You came back! I was sure you'd remain home after you received the call." He remained silent while the blue-haired girl talked with the kid who didn't look strong at all.

"Well, you guys better get yourself ready because what I'm about to tell you will shock you good! Anyway, where are Yamcha and Master Roshi?"

Raditz grunted in disappointment and looked away. He didn't bother with their conversation. What he was after was the master. The Saiyan took it upon himself and walked away. He stared at the house and glanced inside, but there was no one in there. Raditz walked around when he suddenly stopped. He lifted an eyebrow, wondering if that was his brother's master.

What he stared at was a feeble older man making weird noises as he read some magazine. Raditz narrowed his eyes and quietly approached. As he closed the distance, he couldn't but wonder what the man was reading. Since he was only a couple of steps away from the bearded man, he took a better look, only to stumble back. His sudden move startled the martial arts master who fell from the deck-chair.

"What the hell!? Can't an old man like myself have a little privacy!?" Master Roshi's voice echoed through the island as he quickly picked up the magazine. While he tried to wipe away the sand, he noticed the man standing there wasn't one of his students. "Oh, and who might you be?" The moment his eyes fell on the man's figure, sweat began pouring across his wrinkled cheeks.

He was able to see, feel the intense strength flowing around this young man. It was something he never felt before; however, what made him uneasy was a stanch of death that surrounded the long-haired boy. He immediately rose from the ground, almost assuming a defensive guard when Krillin and Bulma appeared.

While Bulma wondered what happened, Krillin wore a disappointed expression. "Don't tell me you fell from your chair because you got too excited, master..." The little martial artist was embarrassed by his mentor.

"Eww, you're a disgusting old man! I can't believe I stayed here for that long..."

The accusations started to anger the master who just wanted some privacy. "Enough, both of you! Don't ruin my image in front of strangers! Who knows what he might think of me now!" He swung his hand around and accidentally dropped the magazine.

Nobody said a word. Bulma picked it up and just released another sigh. "Well, I don't think there's anything left of your image, old man." She curled the magazine and crossed her arms. "Anyway, let's get inside and wait for Yamcha. The two of us have quite a story to tell you guys." A bright smile came back to her face, leaving Roshi and Krillin confused.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

The old master was curious, but at the same time on guard. Something wasn't right; he could feel it. This tall, young man gave him dangerous vibes, but it seemed like Bulma was close to him. Whatever it was, he decided to go along and hear what they had to say.

**.**

Almost an hour passed since they came here and still nothing. Raditz was sitting in the middle, drinking some juice and, for some reason waiting for someone named Yamcha. His patience was getting thin. Not to mention, but the bald brat was staring at him. A throbbing vein appeared on his forehead. He didn't know for how much longer he could sit here. His attention, however, shifted elsewhere when he heard a gentle voice.

"Excuse me, would you like some cookies?"

His black orbs fell upon a blue-haired girl. The color of her hair was much darker than Bulma's, and if remembered correctly, her name was Launch. "Hn, sure." He took the brown cookie from the plate and ate it immediately.

The Saiyan's eyes lit up. He never ate something so good and sweet. Before she could put the plate away, he snatched it from her hands and ate everything. While she giggled at this, Krillin and Master Roshi blinked several times in surprise.

"Woah, I never saw anyone eat like that besides Goku."

Krillin's comment made Bulma laugh. "You have no idea how much they're similar." She lifted a hand to cover her mouth while she ate a cookie.

There was visible confusion on Krillin's face, but before the young martial artist could ask anything, all of them suddenly gazed towards the doors when Yamcha finally came.

Drops of water fell on the floor as he stood there. He wore nothing but shorts and a diving mask. The short-haired martial artist held a net in his left hand as he walked inside. He put the mask and the net on the nearby table and immediately approached the group.

He couldn't stop smiling ever since he saw her. "Bulma! I'm happy to see you back!" Yamcha wanted to hug her, but since he was all wet decided to wait.

The bright smile never left her face. She went to pick up a towel and handed it to Yamcha. "Me too! We waited for you for over an hour. What were you doing?" While it was apparent he was diving; she wondered what for.

Suddenly, his cheeks turned red. "Well, the turtle said there's a cove with some pretty pearls, so I wanted to get you some." He scratched the back of his head as he said that.

"Oh, Yamcha!"

This whole situation made his stomach twist with disgust. He wanted to kill them right now, but he still needed them. "Bulma! Can we get on with what we came here for?" An unmistakable tone of irritation in his voice as he called her out.

He just now noticed there was a man here who he didn't know. Yamcha glared at him, it seemed like Bulma, and this guy came here together. "Hey, who's that long-haired guy, Bulma?" He pointed his index finger at him, not happy that Bulma came here alone with this stranger.

Bulma was smart enough and able to feel the jealousy coming from Yamcha's voice. It made her giggle, but there was no time to waste. "Yep! So come over here, there's a lot you guys need to hear!" She grabbed Yamcha by the hand and dragged him to the living room.

She pushed Yamcha on the couch, near Krillin, who didn't want to be so close to a wet person. Now that everyone was here, Bulma started to talk. "Take a deep breath, everyone, because what I'm about to tell you will shock you like nothing before!" Bulma was the only one standing while the others stared at her with confusion.

"Okay, tell us already."

Bulma smirked at that and shortly after continued. "It's about Goku. You all know how he said his late grandpa found him in the woods when he was little, how he doesn't remember about anyone besides his Grandpa Gohan. Well, allow me to introduce to you Raditz, Goku's older brother!" Her loud exclamation followed with her hand toward the Saiyan.

Silence. The only noise came out of the window. Everyone gathered besides Raditz took some time to process. "Oh, so you're Goku's brother! Nice to meet you, Mr. Raditz!" The first one to speak was Launch, who warmly smiled to the long-haired warrior.

Unlike Launch, the others had a hard time believing this. "What!? You can't be serious!?" The loud voice came from Krillin, who glanced at Yamcha for some support.

"Bulma, how can you be so sure? Don't tell me you believe this guy!? He's more than likely lying, and you fell for that!"

She didn't like the tone or how they didn't believe her, but there was a way to prove it. "How dare you! Do you think I'm stupid to fall for something like that! I have proof! Raditz, show them!" It was more an order than a simple request, which Raditz found it rather amusing.

The Saiyan stood up and unwrapped his tail. "There, a tail just like Goku's! Now, do you believe me!?" She crossed her arms and proudly held her head up while the others shrieked in surprise.

"T-Tail!"

"I-I can't believe it! It is just like Goku's!"

Yamcha and Krillin could only stare at the moving tail while Raditz released a sigh. He was slowly getting tired of all this nonsense. "There, satisfied? Or do you request something else?" His deep voice forced Master Roshi's students to look into his eyes.

Meanwhile, Master Roshi's face drenched in sweat. A memory of the last tournament flashed before his eyes. "If you're Goku's brother, then you're also able to transform during the full moon?" When he said that, Yamcha and Krillin immediately remembered that as well.

He wanted to chuckle so bad, he could see they were frightened by Oozaru, but he kept calm. "Of course, it's what makes us Saiyans different from others." Oh, how he enjoyed seeing the fear in their eyes.

"Oh, man! I'm not sure I want to see that again!" Yamcha already saw it two times, and it still was terrifying to imagine. Now with this guy here, there was a chance of another monster coming out during the full moon besides Goku.

Krillin wholeheartedly agreed with his training partner. "Yeah, but it's a good thing, Jacky Chun destroyed the moon. Now we don't have to worry about that." A sense of relief washed over him as he remembered what the victor of the last tournament did when Goku transformed.

Upon hearing that, Raditz's almost screamed. Now he was deprived of using his Oozaru form if needed. While he was confident that his strength was miles above anyone's on planet Earth, he still didn't like it. The last thing he needed was another bad situation like on planet Kabocha. However, he snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the woman's voice.

"Hm, Saiyans... What's that?"

Raditz relaxed and sat down. He crossed his arms and allowed Bulma to explain everything. She told them how he crash-landed on their planet. The shocking discovery that his brother was alive and well on the very world he accidentally landed. Then, after his approval, she told everyone why Goku came here and why he wasn't looking for him. Most of it was a lie. He knew if he told them the truth, they would be hard to deal From his short stay on this planet; he could tell earthlings were a bunch of softies. Besides, this way was much more manageable, and he would avoid endless discussions with them. Sure, he could kill them, but he still needed them, for now.

After everything was said, nobody spoke a word. Bulma finally sat on the pillow and drank the juice from her glass. "And that's all of it. I decided to bring Raditz here so Master Roshi could call Baba. With her help, we can easily find Goku." She put the glass gently on the table and extended her right arm to take a cookie.

"Woah, that's pretty smart idea, Bulma!" Yamcha's compliment couldn't but bring a prideful expression out of her.

Krillin gave the nod and spoke as well. "Right! I want to see Goku again! I'm sure he got stronger from the last time we saw him!" The little martial artist clenched his fists. He couldn't wait to see his rival, his best friend, after such a long time.

Yamcha shifted his attention to Raditz and stood up. "Hey, I'm sorry for what I said before. It was just too hard to believe at first. I'm Yamcha!" The ex-bandit extended his hand and smiled.

Raditz raised an eyebrow in surprise. That was all? Did they believe him so quickly? He couldn't understand how simple-minded the earthlings were. They were such easy prey; it was hilarious. However, he played along. It was entertaining.

He rose from the couch and seized the man's hand. "Don't worry about it, I understand. I'm glad to meet my brother's companions. I'm sure there's a lot of stories you can tell me about Kakarot before we find him." Yes, this was a perfect opportunity to learn more about his younger brother while they waited for everything to get arranged.

However, Master Roshi wasn't so sure about it. While he sympathized with Raditz's story, he felt something was amiss. It was just a feeling, but it told him to be wary of Raditz. The old martial artist stroked his beard as he turned with his back towards the others. While his students were getting close to Goku's older brother, the Turtle Hermit seemed lost in thoughts.

A long time passed since they parted way with the kind boy. He wondered how he was doing out there, all alone, but something was telling him Goku was doing just alright. Maybe he was too protective, but he wasn't sure if letting Raditz meet Goku now would be good. After all, this might affect Goku's growth as a person and a martial artist. Besides, he trusted his gut. If anything, he needed to figure out who Raditz was, good or bad.


	5. Revelations!

While Yamcha and Krillin tried to have a conversation with Raditz, Bulma shifted around and glanced at the old master. "Hey, Roshi! How about you call Baba and ask her if we can meet. We can get there in an hour!" She spoke with a grin on her face as she averted her attention to Launch, who smiled as well.

The Saiyan's ears twitched upon hearing that. He ignored the annoying earthlings and glared at the older man's back. "Uhm, sorry, but that's impossible." The moment he heard those words, his tail moved.

Confused by his master's answer, Krillin tried to get an explanation. "What do you mean, master? It should be easy for your sister Baba to find Goku. After all, she was of great help when we needed to find the last dragon ball." His training partner Yamcha gave the nod in agreement while Raditz couldn't but wonder what the hell was a dragon ball.

Roshi remained silent as he flipped through the pages of his magazine, for almost a minute. "Of course, finding Goku is easy for my sister. However, at this moment, she's not in our realm." He adjusted his glasses as he let out a short giggle.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Yes, he wanted to ask the same damn question like the short-haired earthling. What was the old fool trying to say with that? Did it mean he couldn't find his brother!? If so, then he would be forced to wait for almost a year! His expression twisted into a scowl. He curled his hands into solid fists as he sent a murdering glare at the beloved master.

Drops of sweat slid down his jaw and neck. He was able to feel it. So intense, dark, and terrifying. His pupils shook as he gulped. He stirred his eyes towards the mirror. A cold chill ran down his spine when he saw Raditz's expression and eyes. Those eyes, filled with such murderous intent. It was hard to believe it came from a young man. For a moment, it reminded him of a monster who wreaked havoc in his younger days.

The martial arts master squeezed his fists and shook the head. He held to his composure and resumed talking. "Don't you remember? My sister's able to travel between our realm and Otherworld. Besides going there and picking warriors to fight for her, she does other jobs in the land of the dead." Roshi rose from the floor and slowly approached a cupboard.

As the bearded master put the magazine in the drawer, Bulma's and others' morale dipped. "Oh, I see. I forgot Baba's able to do that..." The blue-haired genius lowered her head. She wanted to reunite Goku and Raditz, but it seemed that it wasn't possible right now.

He had enough, whatever they said made no sense to him. "What the hell are you talking!? Otherworld, land of the dead!? Can this Baba find Kakarot or not!? Explain!" Irritated by their cryptic words, Raditz raised his voice.

Bulma released a sigh and turned her gaze toward the long-haired warrior. She felt terrible, but she took it upon herself to explain it to him. After all, she was the one who came up with this idea and gave him some hope of finding Goku.

**.**

The wind picked up the pace as the sun slowly sank on the horizon. His long, spiky hair danced on the wind as he stood on the beach. The waves almost reached his boots, but he didn't pay attention. There were several things on his mind at the moment. First, he couldn't believe what Bulma told him. There was a person capable of crossing the border between the dead and the living. Madness! It was tough to grasp. Many times, when he was on the verge of death, did he wonder if there was heaven or hell, but now it was confirmed. A scoff escaped his mouth. Now he knew what his last destination was.

He lifted a hand and pushed the hair that hung over his left shoulder. Now there was no other choice but to wait for the blasted tournament. Sure, he could fly off and leave these fools, but without a scouter, how long would he search for his younger brother? And would he even be able to find him in this vast world? The Saiyan released a frustrated growl while his tail swayed behind the back.

Not only did he need to wait for his space pod to get fixed, but he also needed to find Kakarot. Anger, irritation began to swell inside of him. He needed to let it all out; it was too much to hold. Each time he made a step forward, there were at least two backward. The young warrior had enough of it. He wanted to crack something, kill somebody; it didn't matter what.

There was always an option to kill one of them. It would be satisfying. However, more information was needed. Not to mention, the foolish earthlings could prove to be a useful bargain chip against Kakarot. While he was pretty sure they were a bunch of weaklings, perhaps he could learn something valuable from the old master. If he learned anything from the Kabocha incident, it was never to judge the book by its cover. He made such a mistake in the past too, but this was his chance to learn and get stronger.

Yes, that way, when he returns to Vegeta and Nappa, they would be surprised. "No more weakling Raditz! I'll get everything and take anything!" He lifted his firmly closed fist as he spoke to himself.

At the sound of footsteps, he immediately turned around. His expression softened, and demeanor calmed down when he saw the woman named Launch walking in his direction. His black orbs stirred to the red ribbon that tied her hair. It seemed like it was poorly connected. He wondered if the strong wind was going to blow it away.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard her soft voice. "It's quite chilly here at night, so it's better to have a long-sleeve shirt on." Raditz blinked a few times, confused by her kindness. "You and Yamcha seem the same height, so you can try and wear it." He glanced at her hand and saw a yellow shirt.

Raditz didn't say a word. He simply stared into her eyes. He still didn't get used to this and quite frankly, couldn't understand. How were they able to be so carefree around him? Could they not sense the death that surrounded him? He could snap their necks whenever he liked, even now. Just by curling his fingers around her tender neck, he could break it without much effort. And yet, here she was with a stupid grin on her face offering him clothes so he wouldn't feel cold.

It was annoying. Kindness and foolish emotions get you killed. How were they able to survive like that? He wanted to spat in disgust but refrained himself in doing so. The time to show his true colors was not yet here. He needed to continue his act for at least a year. Once he found his brother and the pod returned to function, well, he would let himself go wild.

A little smirk appeared on his face as he extended a hand. "Thank you. I appreciate the gesture." He turned the shirt and put it on. The Saiyan adjusted it as it seemed a little too tight.

"Oh, it looks like you're taller and built differently than Yamcha after all. Well, I can always buy an extra shirt or two when I go for groceries..." She giggled at how tight and small the shirt looked on Goku's older brother. However, she halted when she realized something. "Silly me, I forgot you'll leave with Bulma. Guess there's no need to buy it then." Launch covered her smile as she spoke.

Raditz raised an eyebrow. This one was completely different from Bulma. Nevertheless, both were naive. "Hm, maybe not. I would like to learn more about my brother and maybe have the old master show me some martial arts. Of course, if he allows it. I wouldn't want to impose." His smooth and low voice was followed with a warm smile as the wind blew.

Launch was surprised for some reason. The woman stared into dark eyes until the strong wind blew by. "A-Ahh... My ribbon!" She tried to catch her red ribbon, but it was already flying away. However, she was shocked when Raditz suddenly materialized on the other side.

"You should be more careful." He slowly approached her with the ribbon in his strong hand. Once he was only a step away from her, he spoke again. "If you allow me, I can tie it for you, Launch." Raditz waved the ribbon as he asked for the approval.

His voice snapped her out. She blinked a few times before she turned around. "S-Sure. Thank you, I'm very fond of that ribbon." Launch was able to feel his fingers go through her long hair. She didn't know why, but her heart was beating fast.

It only took a couple of seconds for the Saiyan to tie the ribbon back. "There, now it shouldn't fly away." Raditz released a chuckle as he took two steps back. What confused him, however, was the crimson color of her cheeks.

Before he could assert what was going on, they heard a loud voice. "Launch! I think you should check the food! There's some burnt smell here!" Krillin's voice caught Launch's attention and forced her to panic.

"Oh, no! I forgot about it!"

Raditz moved to the side and allowed her to rush back to the house. Slowly, he walked toward the house. He couldn't but smirk. It was too easy; all of them were eating out of his hands.

**.**

His eyes almost fell out. The wide variety of food was almost godly. He never saw or smelt something so delicious. For the time being, he completely forgot about all his problems and troubles. Once he received his plate with seafood, he dug in. At the moment, he praised the earthlings inside his head. While they were foolish creatures guided by emotions and fragile, they were at least masters in making fantastic food.

The way he ate, made almost everyone giggle. "Haha, he does eat just like Goku." Said Krillin as he wondered how was his best friend was doing.

"Yeah, no manners at all!"

Everyone burst into laughter when Bulma said that. "That guy! He would be the only one eating right before his match!" Yamcha could relive how shocked the announcer was when Goku asked for food. "The staff and the cooks later complained about how he emptied their storage!" The former desert bandit leaned back and took a sip of water while others continued to laugh.

"I hope he's doing alright, wherever he is."

Upon hearing Launch's words, everyone went silent. The one to break the silence was the old master. "Eh, there's nothing to worry about, Launch. While he does look like a dummy, that boy's very skilled and resourceful." Everyone agreed with Roshi's words.

"Dumb, naive at times, but also the strongest guy I ever saw. And he's only a kid! I wonder how strong he's going to be when he grows up..." Yamcha couldn't but imagine and wonder about it. But there was no way he would allow himself to fall behind. He would chase and improve himself to stay beside Goku when needed.

Krillin was thinking the same thing. "Which is why we need to train more and harder! I'll show Goku in the upcoming tournament just how much I improved and beat him!" His loud exclamation and determination followed with laughter but praise as well.

"Well, that could be tough for you since you slack off most the time." Roshi's remark forced the short martial artist to sit down, but the old master continued. "However, having such motivation works too! Both of you need to shift the gear and push if you want to evolve as martial artists!" He raised his glass and drank all the beer.

"Yes, master!"

Both of them yelled at the same time. Meanwhile, Raditz just observed and listened to everything. The way they talked about his younger brother was worrying. It was almost as if they spoke of another fellow earthling. That pissed him off, but he hid it well. He lowered the plate on the table and took a glass filled with juice.

After he took two sips, he cleaned his mouth as he spoke. "I can see all of you think highly of my brother. Could you tell me more stories about him? What he likes?" Raditz put the glass on the table. The last thing he wanted was to break it after failing to keep his focus if he heard something terrible.

The others looked at each other's faces and smiled. First, to say anything was Bulma. "Heh, it's just like what Yamcha said. Goku's very kind and a fine kid, but he's so obsessed with fighting. It's almost as if that's all that drives him forward." Now that she thought about it, it made sense since Goku was an alien and coming from a warrior race.

"Uhu, I never saw someone as honest and gentle as little Goku. I miss that adorable smile of his around here."

After Launch, it was Yamcha's turn. "True, but he's naive. It's effortless to trick him if you use your brains, well, outside the fight." Yamcha released a chuckle as he remembered how he tricked Goku a few times.

"Yeah, and he always ends in some kind of trouble! Like that time with the Red Ribbon Army..." Said Krillin as he pointed that one out. "Well, he did stop them single-handedly from achieving their evil ambition and destroyed the entire army. That was just crazy!" He still had a hard time processing that. It was ridiculous when they found out Goku took them out by himself.

Raditz wasn't in the mood to eat anymore. His eyebrow twitched each time one of them spoke about his brother. How did Kakarot end up like that? What happened to his younger brother when he landed on this planet? Besides fighting and enjoying it, there was nothing Saiyan-like in his brother at all. The anger inside of him started to swell. If he found Kakarot right now, he would punch him in the face with full force, no mercy.

Suddenly, however, Raditz was forced to stir his attention to the hermit. "You seem agitated, Raditz. Why?" He could see the master's eyes. That wasn't a random question, was the older man aware of his true intentions?

Raditz shook his head and smiled. "No, well, maybe a little. Hearing all of you speak nothing but well words about Kakarot makes me glad he landed on this planet. He was lucky enough to find good people to take care of him. I appreciate all you have done for him in my absence!" The Saiyan bowed his head and tried to cool down.

It seemed at least one of them was wary of him. He should have known the older adult was going to be a bother. Well, at least some challenge, if nothing else. "Master Roshi, you trained my brother. Could you tell me if you know anything about his past? Bulma mentioned a man named Gohan who took care of Kakarot when he landed here. Where is he?" Something was telling him this Gohan character was the catalyst for his brother's radical change.

Roshi lit up his cigarette and exhaled. As the smoke elevated, the master began to speak. "Unfortunately, Gohan's no more amongst us. However, I know little of Goku's past, only a few things Gohan wrote to me." The hermit stroked his beard as he took his time.

"You see, Gohan was one of my students, a very skilled martial artist indeed. One day, when he went on a stroll through the forest, he stumbled upon a strange thing. In there, he saw a small child. He took that small child back to his home, but there was something wrong." He stopped there and inhaled.

A drop of sweat slid down Raditz's neck as he waited for more. The dreadful feeling in his gut began to consume him. "The boy was violent! Each time Gohan tried to approach it, the boy would smack Gohan's hands away or even bite him. No matter what he did, the boy would fight him. However, one day..." Raditz's hands shook as he gulped.

"He took the boy out. They walked through a mountain passage when the little boy fell into a ravine and hit his head! Gohan was devastated. He looked after the child and nursed him day and night, only for the boy to wake up one day. Ever since that incident, the boy stopped with his violent acts and turned to a kind, loving child."

Everyone gathered was surprised to hear that. "Woah, I never knew that! It's hard to imagine Goku to be violent. I wonder what was that all about?" Bulma's quiet mumble reached the Saiyan, who didn't look well.

Of course, they noticed something was wrong. "Um, Raditz? Is there something wrong?" Launch hoped for a reply but nothing. She was worried. Raditz suddenly turned pale, and his face drenched in sweat.

While Krillin, Yamcha, and Bulma wondered what was wrong, Raditz abruptly stood up. "E-Excuse me, I need some air. I'll come back soon." He rushed out of the house without explaining anything.

"Huh? I hope it's not because of the food." While Launch checked the food, Krillin and Yamcha glanced at each other and wondered what caused Goku's brother to act like that.

**.**

There was no air at all; it was suffocating. He put a hand on the shirt and tore it apart. The wind carried the pieces of the shirt. Raditz walked in a circle, just behind the house where no one could see him. It was as if his worst nightmare came true. Why him? Of all people, why was their bloodline cursed with it? Maybe the old bastard was toying with him, but deep down, he knew it was true. After all, he thought of that as well.

He clenched his teeth and tried to suppress the need to shout, curse this world. Throbbing veins spread across his tense muscles as he closed his fists tightly. His entire body shook. The sand around his boots slowly began to clear away because of an invisible force. His tail waved violently behind the back with its spiked fur. Consumed by such rage and disappointment, his pupils were almost gone.

The young Saiyan warrior couldn't hold it anymore. He needed to get away from here. "Kakarot!" With a sky-piercing roar, Raditz's blasted into the sky engulfed by a radiant aura.

* * *

_Thank you, Anon, for the review, and yes, I as well always thought Raditz was the manipulative one and a schemer. Since he was the weakest in their group, he needed to come up with a way to keep up. He'll be like that here as well._


	6. Bloodstained!

_Before jumping into the story, I appreciate the new follows and favs!_

_As per usual, I apologize in advance for bad grammar, spelling, and anything in that regard._

_Any kind of criticism is always welcomed._

* * *

The warm sunlight crept through the white curtain and graced the old master. He was all by himself, sitting on the floor and drinking his first coffee of the day. While everyone was still asleep, he prepared the new training program for his two students. With only a year remaining until the tournament, now it was time for Krillin and Yamcha to push themselves and reach new heights. There was no doubt in his mind that they would meet his expectations, but he knew how lazy and easygoing those two could be.

As he lifted the mug and took a sip, his thoughts shifted to Goku. He couldn't but wonder how was the little monkey-boy doing or where he was at this very moment. Knowing Goku's nature, it was wise to presume that Gohan's grandson trained hard. And probably found a new way to expand his skills as a martial artist. After all, he had nothing else to teach him.

A soft smile appeared on his face as he thought about Goku. However, as he flipped through the programs on the television, Raditz's scowling face flashed before his eyes. A drop of sweat slid down his old wrinkled cheek. Ever since he met the long-haired warrior, he was on guard. He could still remember the feeling of that bloodlust oozing from the young man. It was horrific and suffocating. The last time he felt so intense, it was many years ago when his dear master died. To think someone related to Goku could produce such an aura was mindblowing.

However, maybe he was just too cautious. That didn't mean the young man was bad or evil. He believed Raditz's story. Goku's strength, iron will, and the ability to improve quickly was always such an enigma. And adding to that what his late pupil Gohan told him about the boy, everything made sense. But he still couldn't find himself to trust Raditz fully.

The turtle hermit suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when the light footsteps reached his ears. He glanced to the left and saw Launch walking down the stairs. A wave of relief washed over him when he found out it was the kind and gentle version of Launch. He didn't want to dodge bullets so early in the morning.

"Good morning, Master Roshi. You're up early today."

He responded with a nod as he was currently drinking coffee. "Ahm." As she passed by, his orbs followed her. For a moment, he thought how blessed he was to witness such a pretty view.

While the old master got lost in his perverted dream, Launch went to the kitchen and poured the remaining coffee into her cup. Before she took a sip, the considerate Launch prepared some for Bulma and Yamcha. With that done, she picked up her mug and walked toward the couch where the old hermit was. Just as she was about to sit, a loud noise came from the television.

_"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for interrupting the morning program, but we just received some breaking news!"_

Roshi immediately broke free from his dream and focused on the news. "Hm, breaking news? Just what could've happened this time?" He adjusted his glasses as he patiently waited for the anchors to continue.

_"From our current reports, we can only summarize that the entire city of Yahhoy succumbed to an unprecedented disaster. The King mobilized the army to head to Yahhoy immediately. Still, according to the statements we received, the whole town was d-destroyed! We don't have all the information as to what could cause such a tragedy, however! We expect new information from our correspondent Jimmy Firecracker! Stay tuned!"_

Launch couldn't believe what they just heard. "Oh, no! How terrible!" She put the mug on the table and sat down. "Master Roshi, do you think the people managed to escape in time?" The woman stirred her head in the older man's direction, hoping to receive a positive answer.

Roshi remained silent. He stared at the television, but in truth, he tried to figure out what caused the destruction. "Honestly, I don't know, but I sure hope there're people who evacuated in time." He reached for the little package and took out a cigarette.

"Just what could've caused that? Maybe some kind of bomb? But who'd do that?"

The martial arts master couldn't find an answer to that. "I don't know. The only thing we can do is wait for more news. I'm sure they're..." Roshi halted when they heard the doors getting open.

He walked into the house, calm and relaxed. The young warrior wore a smile on his face as he approached the older male and woman. He noticed their surprised stares; it wasn't so hard to miss. Before he said anything, he released a sigh as he scratched the back of his head.

"Master Roshi, Launch, first allow me to apologize. My behavior from the other night was unacceptable, and I shouldn't have just left without saying a word."

There was a ten seconds pause until Launch rose and moved closer to the Saiyan. "Well, as long as you know it was wrong, then I guess we can forgive you. Right, Master Roshi?" She glanced at the turtle hermit, who simply gave the nod.

"However, don't repeat that! We were worried something happened to you! But then again, you're Goku's brother, so it was probably unnecessary."

Raditz weakly nodded and smiled. "By the way, how did you leave the island? Bulma's plane's still here, so how?" The long-haired warrior stirred his dark orbs toward the older male.

Surprised by the question, Goku's brother quickly responded. "Why, I flew off the island, of course. Don't tell me you're not able to do something so simple, master?" Raditz blinked a few times. His expression was almost innocent.

He had an inkling feeling Raditz was capable of utilizing such a technique, but it was still surprising. Even so, he also had a suspicion the young warrior tried to provoke him just now. Before he was able to say anything, Launch got in the way.

"Oh, no! Your pants are dirty! These red marks won't come off easily."

Suddenly, a nasty thought passed like lightning through his mind. "Is it blood? If so, did you get yourself hurt somewhere?" Roshi's piercing gaze locked on the Saiyan and eagerly awaited the reply.

First, Raditz glanced down. After he confirmed there were crimson marks on his pants, he put the small bag he held all the time on the couch. "Yes, you're right. It must've splashed on my pants after I killed the wild boar. I was quite sloppy in finishing it off." He released a long sigh after he said that.

"Ah, I see! Don't worry; I'll clean them up for you. In the meantime, I'm sure Yamcha won't have anything against borrowing his clothes to you." She was glad nothing terrible happened to him.

Her attention shifted to the small bag on the sofa. "And what's this? Huh? Milk and eggs?" She was confused why Raditz brought that and just how did he get it.

"It seems that boar troubled the locals regularly. So, after I took it down, the farmer who saw me do that gave me these for a reward."

She wondered on what island he lived for the past two days, but Launch decided to ask him later. "Alright. I'll put these in the fridge. I guess I don't need to buy eggs and milk for a while." While she walked to the kitchen, she thought of other things they needed in the house.

Meanwhile, Roshi carefully observed the Saiyan. The thoughts from before seemed invalid. He was relieved. The martial arts master turned his head away and drank the remains of his coffee. Maybe he was wrong, and his suspicions unjustified. Was he so protective of Goku? Or was it that he was simply unnerved by someone stronger than him? Whatever it was, he needed to stop it.

His eyes caught a glimpse of Raditz approaching. He wanted to put the empty mug on the table, but the young man's request took him by surprise. "Master Roshi. As someone who took care of my younger brother and taught him many things, I'd be grateful if you could teach me your way of combat." The cup almost fell from his hands.

He needed a couple of seconds to recuperate. "You want me to teach you martial arts? I'm sorry, but I doubt I've anything to show you. Raditz, I can tell you're strong, even stronger than me. So, my teachings wouldn't do anything for you." He already had his hands full with Yamcha and Krillin.

There was also only a year left until the tournament. Putting those three in a group and teach them wouldn't work. Their strengths were worlds apart, and it would only demoralize the students. He could see the disappointed look in Raditz's eyes, but there was nothing he could do.

However, the long-haired warrior quickly got over it. "I see. Well, I won't bother you anymore then." He took two steps toward the stairs when he suddenly stopped.

"But, you wouldn't mind if I stay here and just observe Krillin's and Yamcha's training? I'm interested to see the type of training and skill my little brother needed to learn."

Roshi thought about it but quickly came with a reply. "I don't mind. You can stay here and watch it. However, you'll help Launch with groceries and other stuff like catching fish." The old master rose from the floor and stretched.

The Saiyan warrior simply nodded and turned forward. As he moved up the stairs, he couldn't but smirk and chuckle. "Hmph, what a fool! It's so easy!" His wicked laugh stopped when he noticed the others coming down. The long-haired man instantly changed his expression, and warmly greeted the earthlings.

**.**

Two months went by since Raditz was allowed to stay at Roshi's house. In the meantime, Bulma left to help her father with the space pod and try to replicate the armor. It was a challenge she would take on without holding back. While the beautiful genius was facing her trials, Yamcha and Krillin were in the middle of rigid training. The martial artists woke up, only ten minutes ago, and they were already swimming across the ocean.

"Ugh, we just woke up, and he's already forcing us to train! Don't you think his methods changed drastically in the past two months?"

The wave slammed into the ex-bandit and submerged him for five seconds. Acting fast, Yamcha swung with his hands and resurfaced. "Damnit!" However, the scar-faced martial artist continued to swim.

His bald companion was right in front of him. "Yeah, I noticed. It's infuriating, but you'll get used to it. After this training, we'll get so strong even Goku's going to be surprised!" Krillin's goal was simple. Grow to become a strong and skilled martial artist to compete with his best friend and even surpass him.

Yamcha couldn't say anything to that. After all, he agreed with the short fighter. He stopped complaining and focused on overcoming the current ordeal. Just as Krillin, he also desired to improve and beat Goku. The upcoming tournament was his chance. With Master Roshi's coaching, he was confident he could aim for the title of the world's strongest.

While Krillin and Yamcha continued to swim, far upfront, the small boat was close to the land. On the ship was Launch, who drove the thing and Raditz. The Saiyan minded his own business while sitting behind her. With arms crossed and eyes closed, the young warrior seemed lost in thoughts.

His long hair danced wildly on the wind. It started to annoy him, but he tried to ignore that. He had far more important things on his mind. For the past two months, he observed every little thing the older man showed to those morons. He engraved all the moves into his head. It was vastly different from his style. However, he was sure if he combined them, his new fighting style would improve tremendously.

An arrogant smirk surfaced as he imagined the new and better version of himself. "Yes, I can do that. At first, I doubted my idea, but with polished and improved skills on top of my rising power, I'll show all who made fun of me just how greater I'm!" He opened his eyes and clenched both fists.

"Eh? Did you say something?"

Raditz's dark spheres shifted to Launch. "Hm, are you positive those two didn't drown? I can't see them." He didn't care about those idiots, but it would provide some entertainment if they died in such a pathetic way.

Launch dropped the speed as they were close to the shore. "Um, Yamcha and Krillin are doing just fine. Those boys are strong, and something like this is nothing for them." She smiled as she shifted to the Saiyan, who just lifted an eyebrow.

While she was stirring the boat to the pier, Raditz wondered how she could have such a blind fate in anybody. She wasn't the only one. Every single one of them was like this. It was infuriating and foolish. With each day that passed, he was surprised by how far the earthling's stupidity reached. However, if there was a thing they excelled at, then that was food. From all the planets he visited, and there were many, this world had the best meals. For that, he complimented them.

He tied the rope around the column and followed the woman. "Alright! There's only a couple of things we need, so this shouldn't take too much time. Hmm, I wonder if I should buy something for Master Roshi?" Knowing that perverted man, the right thing to buy would be one of those journals.

Raditz followed Launch everywhere and carried the bags quietly. Only two months passed, but he was growing tired and annoyed by doing this. He wasn't as confident as in the beginning. Enduring another ten months of this hell was perhaps a bit too much. His tail shifted around the waist as they walked from one stand to another. The bags kept piling up, and he could barely see anything.

"Hey, woman... ahm, Launch! Don't you think this is enough?"

She abruptly halted and almost caused Raditz to bump into her. Thanks to his inhuman reflexes, the Saiyan stepped to the left and avoided her. "Ups, sorry about that." No words came from his mouth because he bit himself to prevent from lashing out.

Launch tried to think if they needed something else while Raditz hoped it was over. "Huh, I guess you're right. We have everything. I wonder if Krillin and Yamcha reached the island." She spun around and headed toward the pier while the young man mumbled something under the breath.

"Wait! Please, stop you!"

Upon hearing the loud shouts, Raditz stopped and turned around. "Ah, finally! I knew that was you! That wild, long hair's a dead giveaway!" The Saiyan wondered what the bald man was talking about until he recognized the voice.

"Raditz, do you know this person?"

He gazed at Launch and explained. "This is the gentlemen who gave me the eggs and milk as a reward for killing the animal." As soon as he said that, the people from the stands came closer.

"So, you're the one who finally put down that beast for good!"

"Thank you so much! You can have anything you want from me for free!"

While Launch smiled and hesitantly accepted the gifts, Raditz's nerves were about to explode. A throbbing vein appeared on his forehead as the stuff kept piling up. He couldn't believe it.

She was grateful for all the gifts, but it was just too much. "Heh, thank you all, but it's enough. We can't carry all of that." Thankfully, the villagers stopped and returned to their stands, markets after delivering one last thank you.

The only one who remained was the bald farmer who simply laughed. "Haha, with all you got from us, I doubt you'll need to stop by anytime soon." He jokingly smacked Raditz's shoulder, but strangely felt pain in his hand.

"I guess you're right, mister."

For a moment, the smile vanished from his face. He wondered why his hand hurt, but the bald male quickly got over it. "Oh, it's nothing! It's the last thing we could do. But hey, young man! You never told me you had such a cute girlfriend." The man's smile returned when he saw Launch's crimson face.

Meanwhile, he almost fell on his back. "W-We aren't together like that." Of course, they weren't and never will be. As if he would ever tarnish and shame his bloodline by mating a non-Saiyan woman. Sure, a one-night thing wasn't out of the question but settling down and possibly spawn a half-breed? Never!

Annoyed by this and everything else, Raditz turned away. "Launch! We're leaving!" He didn't bother with the earthlings or Launch, who tried to tell him to wait.

It didn't take them long to reach the pier. Raditz and Launch noticed Krillin and Yamcha lying on the ground. As his eyes inspected their bodies, Raditz was capable of deducing they were out of the water for quite some time.

"Oh, hey, guys! Woah! What's up with all these bags!?"

His expression darkened. "Don't tell me you spent all the money? Anyway, we just got here, so we'll take a forty-minute break." As if he was stupid enough to believe them. They couldn't cross him with such a weak lie. He could tell they were already taking a break for half an hour, at least.

Launch wasn't even able to offer them some water from a bottle when he stepped in. "Get into the ocean and swim back to the island." He told them that as he dropped the bags carefully in the boat.

Of course, this couldn't go on without a protest. "Huh!? But we just got here! At least give us twenty minutes to get our breath back!" While Yamcha tried to recover a little more, at least, Krillin weakly nodded.

The long-haired warrior turned in Yamcha's direction and lifted a finger. "Swim." He fired a purple beam that grazed Yamcha's hair and destroyed a boulder behind Krillin.

Their eyes were wide open as they stared at the Saiyan, whose voice was terrifyingly low. "Hehe, sure, buddy! We're swimming back!" Yamcha was the first to jump back into the ocean and swim like a madman. Only a second later, Krillin did the same.

The wind caused Raditz's hair to sway and caress Launch's nose as she stood behind him. "Tch, those guys think they can fool me. As if!" A cocky grin appeared on his face. However, a sneeze from behind forced him to turn around.

As he did that, his eyes were wide open. Instead of gentle, calm, and dark-haired Launch, a different woman stood there but wearing the same clothes. "What the hell is this!?" His loud voice rang over the place, but it got replaced with the machine gun's sound.


	7. Reunited At Least!

His eyes were firmly closed as he waited for the airplane to land. The vibrating noise of the engine annoyed him quite a bit, but he tried to ignore it. Slowly, he opened his eyes and glanced through the square window. He could see the island just up ahead. Several thoughts passed through his mind as they drew closer to the famous island. It was almost time. After such a long wait and tiresome acting, he would finally see him. For a year, he patiently waited and did nothing but chores for the older man. He gazed at the bearded Master who suddenly began yelling at the stewardess.

Of course, he could have killed all of them. However, they served another purpose. If his little brother was foolish enough to decline him, he could use these morons against Kakarot. That would be much easier and less messy from just beating his brother and take him away. And that was another problem he needed to face. As it turns out, his space pod it's not operational at this moment.

His dark orbs stirred toward the blue-haired genius. He clenched his teeth as he remembered the conversation they had just moments before leaving the Kame House. It seemed like fixing the pod required more time, and that was irritating. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to strangle her tiny neck, but she somewhat proved herself useful. As much as he doubted her skills, the girl managed to forge a brand new armor. The armor had a black and yellow color pallet, and it didn't have any shoulder guards. One significant difference was the flexibility. Unlike the usual battle armors, this one was very stiff. However, it was still an impressive achievement for an earthling.

He continued to stare at her for quite a while until he heard a bold statement from the ex-bandit. "So, finally time for the World Martial Arts tournament? Heh, this time, I'll make it to the top." The tall warrior closed his eyes and tried to surpass the chuckle from getting out.

"That's not going to happen. I'm here, after all."

And now even the bald earthling joined in talking nonsense. It was amusing how they believed that they even have any chances of winning the tournament. Even if his main objective is to get Kakarot, there is no way he would miss an opportunity to participate in the contest. After all, he is a Saiyan warrior, and this is what his kind precisely enjoys the most. Surprisingly enough, he looked forward to it despite not being that much interested in the beginning.

"The way you two talk. Why it's almost like you've forgotten about Goku."

The voice belonged to Bulma, who paused reading the book for a moment. She liked how optimistic Yamcha and Krillin were, but it was almost impossible to believe anyone could beat Goku. Of course, there was also the current champion Jacky Chun, the man who defeated the little monkey boy in the final match. She couldn't but wonder if the mysterious older man would show up at the tournament.

She forcefully snapped out of her thoughts when Launch began to complain out loud. "Ughhh! W-Whenever I ride a plane; it makes me wanna hijack it!" A drop of sweat slid down her milky cheek as she stared at the yellow-haired woman.

While Bulma and the others tried to calm the wild version of Launch, Roshi couldn't be still anymore. "H-Hey stewardess lady! I don't think I can hold it any longer! I need to poop now!" His loud voice rang across the plane and forced the group to look away, ashamed.

Unlike the rest, he started to laugh. At least the old Master provided some entertainment on this dull and long flight. He lifted a hand and hid his mouth to surpass the chuckle. Soon after that, the strong warrior shifted his head back to the window and, with a smirk, observed the island beneath them. A strange feeling from within began to rise. He wasn't sure if it was excitement or something else, perhaps nervousness, but that was impossible. After all, why would he be nervous?

A voice from the speaker cut him off from his thoughts. _"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm happy to inform you that we're about to land on Papaya Island. Please, follow the stewardess_ instructions,_ and thank you for flying with us." _He obliged and followed the rules. While he waited for the plane to land, his right leg began to shake.

**.**

A large number of people gathered in front of the colossal gates. Anyone that had any means traveled across the globe to witness the greatness of the world's best tournament. While the spectators walked through the gates, the fighters interested in the title registered at the front desk. Naturally, among all these people were also Krillin and the rest of the group. The short martial artist and Yamcha couldn't hide their excitement as they stared at the gates.

"Man, this is so nostalgic! This day has finally come around again!"

He closed his left hand tightly as he agreed. "Yeah! I can't wait to set foot on that ring again!" The short-haired martial artist smirked with confidence as he observed the famous building.

The turtle hermit wore a smile on his face as he heard his pupils talk. "Ahm! Aren't you going to register?" He pointed with the staff toward the man sitting at the table in charge of the registration process.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

While those two wrote their names on the paper, something else bugged the old Master. "By the way, has a boy called Goku registered yet?" He hoped that was the case as there were only five more minutes until the time run out.

"Oh, the child who was runner-up last time. Uh, it looks like he hasn't come yet."

His ears twitched upon hearing that as he wrote his name on the paper. "Not yet, huh? That darn fool! Did it just slip his mind?" He dropped the pen and glared at the turtle hermit. If Kakarot doesn't show up, then all of his time waiting would be for nothing. A scowl appeared on his face as he dangerously stared at Roshi's back.

Shivers ran down his spine. It was the same feeling from a year ago. He could sense a malicious intent aimed at him from behind. Without even taking a glance, he knew from where it came. Drops of sweat rolled down his wrinkled cheeks while he tried to ignore it. Thankfully, the others stirred Raditz's attention away from him so he could register.

"He'll come. He was looking forward to this. You don't need to worry."

The long-haired Saiyan glanced at Bulma, who simply smiled. "Hmph, for your sake, I hope you're right." He spoke silently, which made her wonder what he said. However, his eyes caught a glimpse of a small group heading their way.

"Well, if it isn't the old Turtle Hermit!?"

Raditz barely paid attention to the older man or a pale dwarf. His eyes locked on the tall three-eyed man who wore a smug smirk on its face. It was such a punchable face he could barely restrain himself from tearing the freak apart. His tail excitedly stirred around the waist as he grinned back at the stranger who finally noticed him.

Meanwhile, Roshi argued with his old rival. "Hmph, so you're still alive, huh? Too bad." He firmly held his staff as he glared at the famous crane hermit. Everything was going well until this man appeared. Well, almost everything.

"Haha, your tongue and face are nasty as ever. Too bad you wasted your time getting here. With my students participating in the tournament, everyone will see real martial arts. Unlike what your disciples showed last time. So, with your dignity still intact, withdraw from the tournament."

A throbbing vein appeared on his forehead, but instead of yelling, he laughed. "Hahaha! Is this supposed to be a joke!? You've still got no sense of humor!" Sparks started to fly around them, and neither of the two cared about other people staring at their verbal fight.

The geezer's rambling and the way he promoted his disciples caused the Saiyan to look forward to the start of the tournament even more. He wished he had a scouter to gauge the freak's power level. Even without the device, he could somewhat guess the class based on appearance and the fact that this was an earthling. He told himself to lower his expectations, or he would end up disappointed.

Finally, the old masters backed away from each other. "Hmph! Let's go, boys! I won't talk with these idiots any longer!" The Crane Hermit walked away from Roshi and the others with his students following. " But, I'll be looking forward to the matches, and your disciples fall!" With one last laugh, they walked inside the tournament grounds.

"Master. I'm sure you were able to sense it. That guy's got a dark and strong aura around him."

Roshi's old rival adjusted his black glasses as a drop of sweat slid down his forehead. "Don't lose focus, Tenshinhan! There's nothing about you need to worry. Especially if they're that fool's students." He laughed loudly, but a part of him was worried because of that long-haired boy.

With the unwanted quests gone, everyone shifted their thoughts back to Goku, who still wasn't here. "Guys, there is only one minute left! Where the hell is Goku!?" The squeaky voice came from the talking pig Oolong, who pointed at his watch.

Thinking fast, Yamcha turned to his best friend. "No choice! Puar, change into Goku so that he'll at least be registered!" It was the only thing they could do until their little friend showed up. He was sure Goku would come for this year's tournament.

Merely seconds before the floating cat shapeshifted, Launch noticed someone running. "Wait! He's here!" With a big smile on her face, she pointed toward a black-haired boy running at full speed in their direction.

"Hey! Everyone!"

"Goku!"

Everyone except Roshi surrounded Goku and barraged him with questions. While the old martial arts master registered the wild-haired boy, he could only stand behind them and stare wide-open. Without a doubt, this was his younger brother. The resemblance to their late father was unbelievable, almost frightening. However, the resemblance stopped there.

Each time his brother spoke or smiled with that ridiculous expression, a growl escaped from his throat. Just as he feared, there was nothing Saiyan like inside his brother. The usual wild and ruthless nature of a warrior child was gone. He couldn't feel or smell any bloodlust from him. If it weren't for the hair and tail, he would mistake him for an earthling. Unacceptable!

While Raditz glared at them with clenched fists, Bulma suddenly realized this was their moment. "Oh, I almost forgot! Goku, you need to meet somebody!" She gazed back at the little boy with a big smile on her face.

"Huh? Who? Is he strong?"

Yamcha and Krillin could only chuckle at that. "Well, I guess so, but that's not the point! It may be hard to grasp, but Goku, this guy's name is Raditz, and he's your brother!" It was quite a bomb to drop on Goku, but she hoped her friend would understand.

Son Goku just blinked a few times. He stirred his black orbs to the tall, strong-looking man and simply stared. "Brother? But I only had grandpa after my parents dropped me in the woods." He scratched his head, confused by the whole situation.

"O-Oh, um well..."

Before Bulma could continue, Raditz took a step forward. "It's just as Bulma said. My name's Raditz, and I'm your brother, Kakarot." He stopped only a meter from his brother and glared down. "And before you ask, Kakarot's your real name given to you from our mother." He wanted to punch someone so badly. This whole thing was a disaster.

Goku tilted his head to the right and seemed like he thought hard about something. "Hmm, I think I prefer Goku as my name. But you can call me whatever you like. " A bright smile surfaced as he placed both hands behind the head.

Raditz's eyes were wide open upon hearing that. He clenched his teeth and spoke through them. "Kakarot, can you remember anything before landing on planet Earth? About our home planet? Or maybe our mother?" Unintentionally, he unwrapped his tail. He was too preoccupied with the current affairs to control his tail.

The wild-haired boy was lost entirely. "Huh? No, I don't remember anything besides grandpa." His eyes shifted to the right where he noticed something. "Hey! You have a tail just like me! You're the first earthling I've met with a tail! Cool!" Goku laughed as he ran behind the long-haired man and slowly moved his tail to meet Raditz's.

Raditz simply stared at his brother's actions. While lost in an endless void of thoughts, Bulma joined the conversation. "Um, Goku. I don't know how to tell you this, but you're not an earthling." Now that she had his attention, the blue-haired genius continued.

"You and Raditz were both born on a planet called Vegeta. According to him, you guys are a strong, proud warrior race known as Saiyans. And the main characteristics every Saiyans share are; black hair and eyes, brown monkey-like tails, and a powerful desire for battle. Did I say everything, right?"

Raditz just nodded while Goku took a step back out of shock. "W-Woah!? I can't believe it!" Almost immediately, he glanced at the old martial arts master. "Master Roshi, is that true?" A lone drop of sweat slid down his chubby face as he nervously waited for the answer.

The older man took his time and released a sigh. "Goku. A long time ago, Gohan sent me a latter about stumbling upon a little child inside a weird pod. The thing was small, round, and out of this world. It created a big hole on the ground and broke down the tall trees. However, the fascinating thing was you. You were strong, stubborn, wild, and you could eat a ton of food." He halted for a moment and turned away.

"He didn't know what to do about you, but Gohan still kept you and tried his best to raise you. So, whatever you're from Earth or not, it doesn't matter, boy."

Goku's orbs shook as he stared at Roshi's smiling face. "Yeah, I guess you're right." For at least ten seconds, he thought of his late grandpa. He wondered how the older man was doing in the realm of the dead, but knowing him, all was fine.

He shifted to the other side and looked at Raditz. His orbs locked on the taller male and never stirred away. "Hehe, I guess that's that. It's nice to meet you!" He offered his brother a hand with the biggest grin possible.

While Bulma released a sigh of relief, Yamcha placed a hand over her shoulder and nodded with a smile. Meanwhile, Raditz just stared at the extended hand. He was frozen on the spot, unable to move or process anything. As expected, Kakarot suffered greatly from the accident. The poor thing couldn't even remember their mother's face, let alone his real mission. Not only that, but the brain damage shaped his brother into something else. That old fool Gohan also was at fault here. However, this wasn't the time for that. He needed to think of a way to fix Kakarot.

"I bet you're strong! I'm getting fired up for the tournament! I can't wait to fight against you!"

That snapped him out of it. He glanced into his younger brother's eyes and could see the burning flames. The boy couldn't wait to fight, the excitement and desire for combat flowed through his veins as well. At least something.

He firmly seized Kakarot's hand and smirked. "Hmph, I look forward to it. I hope to see everything you're capable of, little brother." It was a forced smile, but nobody could tell. For now, he decided to continue with his plan. After all, he wanted to demolish everyone in the tournament, and after that, he would proceed with his real intentions.

"By the way! What took you so long, Goku!?"

The wild-haired boy looked at his best friend and smiled. "Hehe, sorry about that! I didn't think swimming from that Yahhoy place would take so much time." While almost everyone's eyes fell out, Goku moved around Krillin. "Hey, you trained hard, didn't you, Krillin?" He could tell simply by looking that the bald martial artist trained like never before.

Krillin shook his head and smirked. "Of course, I did! Not only have a grown a lot stronger, but I'm even a lot taller now!" Everything was true except for the last part.

They continued to talk for a minute until they heard a loud voice from the speakers. _"A message for those participating in the tournament! Please enter the competition hall. The preliminaries will begin immediately!" _The warriors quickly said goodbye to Bulma and the rest who walked to a different section until the finals got announced.

**.**

The moment they walked inside, everyone glanced at them. Unlike last time, Krillin got used to the stares. While the bald boy arrogantly smirked, Yamcha walked with a serious expression. This time he wanted to show everyone he deserved the title. Meanwhile, Goku seemed happy to wear the turtle gi once again. He looked at the fighters gathered there with a big smile. On the other hand, Raditz paid attention to no one. He moved forward with one hand resting on his hip and glaring.

However, they abruptly halted when a bald man stepped in front of them. "Uh, excuse me, sir, but I have to ask you to change your clothes. You see, the participants aren't allowed to wear armors." The member of the staff nervously sweated because so many strong-looking men surrounded him.

"Huh? Really? I wasn't aware of that. Maybe Master Roshi has a spare one. I can go and ask him if you want?"

He gazed at the ex-bandit only to decline the offer. "No need. I'll fight without it. I assume this is fine, right?" The Saiyan shot an intense glare at the chubby man who instantly paled.

"Y-Yes, sir!"

Without the armor on, everyone could see his almost perfect physique. Thanks to his long hair, the scars on his back continued to remain hidden. Raditz and the rest moved forward and looked around. They patiently waited for the announcer to call them to draw the numbers. As they walked around the small rings, Goku spotted a familiar figure.

"Look, guys! It's Jacky Chun!"

Raditz's attention immediately shifted. He followed his younger brother with the others, eager to meet the champion. "Oh, it's you, boys. It's been a long time, huh?" He stood just behind Krillin and couldn't but find the older man's appearance familiar. There was a resemblance to the old pervert, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure. Either way, the man looked weak and fragile.

Enthusiastic about fighting the old martial artist again, Goku lifted both fists. "I can't wait to fight you again, gramps! This time I hope I can beat you!" His childish laugh echoed through the building while his tail swayed around.

"Hoho looks like you've trained a lot. I'm sure that'll be fun!"

They continued to hang with the champion until a new voice came through the speakers. _"Uh, thank you all so much for gathering from far and wide! As the number of participants continued to increase, we decided to hold the tournament every three years!" _The older man standing in front of the microphone on the ring took a short break before continuing.

_"Ahm. Even so, we have an astonishing number of 182 participants! However, the battles are going to be harsh, and only eight can enter the finals! Utilize the fruits of your constant training well!"_

After the speech, all the 182 participants moved forward upon hearing their names. After a while, each one of them held a paper with a number in their hands. The panels attached to the walls helped the fighters to figure out in which block they were. Luckily enough for Goku and the rest, neither of them would face each other until the finals. Of course, they were happy about that.

The first ones to enter the ring, almost at the same time, were Krillin and Yamcha. They were both efficient and quickly finished their first battles. While he waited for his turn, Goku cheered both of them. On the opposite side, Jacky Chun efficiently dealt with his first opponent. As a champion, he had an image to uphold.

"Contestants #4 and #5, please, step up to the platform."

Upon hearing his number, he walked on the ring and glanced at his opponent. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed he was fighting some kind of wolf shaped man. Seeing how the opponent was weak, he closed his eyes and yawned. Naturally, his opponent didn't like that.

"Grrr! You punk! I won't allow you to disrespect me like this!"

He ignored the empty threats and growls while he stirred his neck left and right. "Please, begin!" Despite the announcer declaring to start the match, Raditz remained on his spot with arms crossed.

"Gahah! What, you scared!? Then drop out already!"

The man-wolf rushed at the Saiyan, who didn't bother at all. His sharp claws were about to reach the target, but unexpectedly he was sent flying. He couldn't understand what happened. At one point, he attacked the long-haired punk but only to find himself stuck in the ceiling. His pupils shook for three seconds until he lost consciousness.

Every single fighter gathered around the ring could only stare in pure shock. "Tenshinhan, I never saw this guy move. Could you?" The weak voice came from one of Crane's students who observed Raditz's first battle.

The three-eyed martial artist remained silent as he clenched his teeth. "Tch! This guy's good as much as I hate to say it." He uncrossed his arms as he turned around. "Hmph, but there's nothing to worry about, Chiaotzu! I'll show how our school's superior to theirs! I can't wait to crush their bones!" A sinister smirk surfaced as Tenshihan let out a chuckle.

Meanwhile, another battle was about to commence on the other side. Finally, Son Goku's turn was up. With his friends showing him support from the sidelines, the wild-haired boy warmed up as he waited for his opponent. Ten seconds later, the fighter stepped on the platform, surprising the spectators.

The ex-bandit recognized the famous figure and began to sweat nervously. "T-That's King Chapa! Uh, Goku's got quite a troublesome opponent right from the start!" Seeing how Krillin seemed confused, he explained. "King Chapa's a very skilled martial artist! In the past, he participated in this tournament and won the championship without getting grazed by his opponents!" He squeezed the outer part of the ring as he watched the famous fighter.

"Please, begin!"

Both of them instantly shifted to their battle stances. "Well then, please come to me whenever you like, boy." The confident Chapa smirked as he looked down on Son Goku, who just smiled back.

The boy pulled his right fist back and prepared himself. "Well, then, here I come!" He bent his knees and, with surprising speed, dashed at King Chapa, who never saw it coming.

Goku's straight punch connected with Chapa's chin forced the older man several steps back. The taller martial artist regained his composure and caressed his chin as he glared at the Saiyan.

"Hmph, I see. It seems you're not an ordinary child."

The young boy remained silent with a smirk on his face. An arrogant grin resurfaced on King Chapa's face. "Alright, boy! Don't hold this against me. Defeat is part of training too." The previous champion swiftly moved both arms in front and attacked Goku.

Much to everyone's surprise, even Yamcha's and Krillin's, Goku quickly blocked every single attack. Furthermore, he dropped on the ground and kicked Chapa's legs, forcing the older man to fall on the back.

"Heh, you're not watching your legs."

Consumed by disbelief that a mere child saw through his best skills and anger, King Chapa jumped on his feet and charged at Goku. With a confident smirk, the young Saiyan avoided the left jab. While his opponent looked left and right for him, Goku appeared from behind and delivered a strong kick to the head. The force behind the strike was enough to send a famous and skilled martial artist like King Chapa outside the ring.


	8. The 1st Fight!

The sun was high on the clear, blue sky. It was a nice and warm day, perfect for watching some exciting fights. Countless people flooded the grounds as they waited for the preliminary round to finish. Considering how thrilling the last tournament was, everyone had high expectations for this one. Bulma and the others tried to find an open space to relax while waiting for finals since there were so many people. After five minutes of squeezing between people, they found a small spot where they could drink and eat ice cream in peace.

"Uh! Finally! I can't believe there are so many people."

She removed her jacket and tied it around the waist. While a drop of sweat slid down her smooth skin, the blue-haired genius took the drink from Oolong, who held it for her. She sat on a small wall directly under the tree and leaned against it. The ice tea cooled her off for a bit. While she took another sip, she couldn't but wonder how the guys were doing.

Her thoughts came abruptly to a halt when Puar's question caught her attention. "Does anyone know where's Master Roshi? He's been gone for a while now?" She completely forgot about the older man. Now that Puar mentioned that, she wondered where could the turtle hermit be.

"Well, he's an old man, so he probably just gone to the toilet. You know, like before."

That embarrassing situation was the last thing she wanted to remember. Perhaps Oolong was right, but she knew the sly master for too long. "Hmph, or he's molesting people. Anyway, he'll come back once the finals start. Don't worry about him." She closed her eyes and tried to relax under the tree's shadow.

He didn't even think of that. The sneaky hermit probably went peeping on beautiful women. He thought of doing the same, but a stare from Puar caught his attention. "Pervert." He glared at the floating cat and turned around. The little pig mumbled some words while he ate his ice cream, and Puar watched over him from above. However, all of them soon moved their concentration to Launch, who suddenly pulled out her gun.

"Ah! I can't do it anymore! Having so many people around me makes me want to rob them!"

Bulma and the others could see the creepy smile on the blonde woman. While they tried to calm her down, the tournament staff carried the beaten participants out of the building. Seeing how many injured fighters they moved, Bulma wondered if everything was alright with Yamcha and the others. This distracted Launch from causing any trouble as well.

"Ugh! It hurts!"

"T-Those guys are not ordinary people!"

"H-How can anyone be so strong!?"

She watched the staff carry the fallen participants to the nearby hospital until a voice from behind forced her to turn. "Hey! Bulma! Oolong! Everyone!" As she turned around, she was surprised to see Goku and Krillin run in their direction.

"Huh? What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be fighting?"

The little boys smiled before Krillin explained. "Heh, we already qualified for the finals. I must say this year's preliminaries were easy." A smug smirk appeared on his face as he crossed his chubby arms.

She didn't expect to hear that, but then again, the boys trained hard during the past three years. "Wow! You did it, huh? That's great! And what's even better, all four of you managed to enter the finals!" The young woman was happy for them. As she looked up, Yamcha and Raditz joined.

There was visible confusion in Yamcha's eyes as he approached the group. "Where's Master Roshi? I thought he was with you guys?" He glanced left and right, but their master was missing.

"The geezer's probably molesting women."

Yamcha and Krillin looked at each other and released a disappointed sigh while Goku just grinned. "Who's molesting who?" They were startled by the martial arts master who appeared out of nowhere. "I leave for just a little bit, and you start talking about me behind my back!" The hermit was visibly annoyed by their false accusations.

The master adjusted his hat and explained where he was. "If you must know, I was off secretly watching the preliminaries!" He glanced at his disciples, who wanted to hear his thoughts. "I was gaping in amazement at how much you three have improved!" He could barely hold the tough act. The glimmer in their eyes and smiles almost brought him down.

Raditz, meanwhile, rolled his eyes. He couldn't listen to such nonsense any longer. If what he saw in there was supposed to be the best they got, they were even more pathetic than he thought. He wanted to ridicule and laugh at them. However, the long-haired Saiyan held himself for doing so. He hoped they would announce the finals at any moment because he was interested to see if his younger brother was as weak as them. There was also that three-eyed earthling who caught his interest.

Luckily for the warrior, he got what he wanted only five minutes later. _"The tournament will be starting soon! Will the eight chosen participants gather at the martial arts temple's main hall!" _An arrogant smirk surfaced as he bounced off the tree. He didn't even wait for the others. While his brother and the two earthlings watched Launch scare off the people so they could get to a better place to watch the fights, the Saiyan only thought of the upcoming battles.

The only one who noticed Raditz's disappearance was Goku. "Hey! Hey! Get the hell out of the way if you don't want to get killed!" While Launch's voice echoed across the place after she fired from her gun, the little boy went after the long-haired warrior after picking up his scent.

**.**

As he set foot inside, he noticed he wasn't the only one here. His dark orbs drifted to the right and saw a weak-looking earthling throwing fists at an invisible enemy. He quickly looked away from such a pitiful sight. His eyes moved to the left, and he could see him. A sinister grin appeared on his face when he caught a glimpse of the three-eyed earthling. He halted and glared at the freak who did the same. They remained locked on each other until his younger brother's voice snapped him out of it.

"Hey! Why did you leave in such a hurry? Oh, I know! You must be just as excited as me for the fights!"

He gazed down, and just by seeing that tail wiggle around, he knew how much his brother wanted to fight. "Hn, of course. After all, we're Saiyan warriors. It's in our blood to seek worthy opponents and test ourselves. The stronger our opponent is, the more excited we get. Am I right, Kakarot?" He didn't move his eyes off his younger brother, who just blinked a few times.

The wild-haired boy scratched the back of his head as he tried to think of his previous fights. "Huh! You're right! Whenever I fought a guy stronger than me, I felt so strange I couldn't explain it!" His young voice echoed across the temple as he finally realized why he felt that way. "Wow! So that's why! Is there anything else!?" He wanted to know more.

Raditz amusingly lifted an eyebrow. He didn't think his brother would be so curious to learn more. "Hah, yes, there is. For example, if we are beaten in battle and brought to the brink of death, our strength will increase once we heal. The more severe our wounds are, the stronger we get." The tall Saiyan sat on a nearby bench while he explained the biology of their race to Goku.

"Woah! That's so neat! Now I get how I was able to beat that Tao guy after I lost to him!"

He nodded while thinking about what kind of battles his brother went through that the earthlings didn't even know. "Ahm. However, the most important thing to a Saiyan is his tail. Kakarot, our tails, are the true source of our power. You must never allow anyone to grab hold of it or lose it! It's what separates us from the others, never forget that!" His sudden shift to a stern voice and expression surprised the little warrior.

Son Goku's goofy smile faded away. He stared at the serious-looking Raditz, but only for five seconds. "Well, I lost my tail once and felt weird without it. Luckily, it grew back because I feel better and stronger with it!" His innocent smile returned as he moved his monkey tail in front.

"Grandpa Gohan would always tell me it was a weakness I needed to overcome. I was getting tired of losing my strength every time someone touched it, so before the tournament started, I decided to surpass my big weakness."

Raditz's eyes slowly widened. Before he was able to ask, Goku moved the tail closer to him. "Go on, grab it." He instantly reacted. The long-haired warrior squeezed the tail with all his might, only for the boy to fall on the ground.

"K-Kakarot!"

He didn't know what came over him. Suddenly, he got up and was seconds from releasing the tail when his younger brother jumped from the floor. "Hehe, you fell for it!" He wanted to smack the little bastard for making a fool of himself. What annoyed him the most was the reaction he made.

"Hehe. I trained my tail, so even if you grab it, I won't lose my strength."

The tall warrior grumbled as he sat down. He was surprised by this. Usually, only the elite warriors evolved their tails to such a point that not even a harsh squeeze could render them helpless against an enemy. To think that his low-level brother achieved that was mind-blowing. Maybe, there was more to Kakarot than he initially thought. After all, not even he overcame that weakness. Suddenly, he wanted to know more. He wished to see what kind of techniques his brother picked up on this planet during all these years. While the boy was a pathetic weakling, he had a feeling Kakarot learned something useful under that perverted old fool and others.

Raditz wasn't even aware he was staring at Goku for a while until Krillin and the Yamcha accompanied by Jacky Chun walked into the hall. He quickly averted his gaze to the other side and patiently waited for the fights to start. He could feel someone was watching him, but he paid no mind. The Saiyan just scoffed and crossed his muscular arms as he leaned back.

Meanwhile, Krillin and Yamcha had a conversation while Son Goku walked on his hands. "I hope that the lottery doesn't place the four of us together right at the beginning." The bald martial artist said that mostly because he wasn't sure he could beat Goku's brother. No matter how much he thought about it, the long-haired alien seemed out of reach for him.

The former desert bandit shared the same opinion. However, he knew it didn't matter anymore. "I get what you're saying, but we're already in the finals. From this point, there's no easy fight." His black orbs followed Goku, who had fun walking on his hands across the room.

"Hmph, color me impressed. I never imagined your stupid turtle team would reach this far."

Yamcha and Krillin immediately turned their attention to Tenshinhan, who arrogantly smirked. "There was nothing but garbage in the preliminaries. No wonder you managed to survive." The disciple of the famous Crane hermit chuckled as he mocked the two fighters.

Krillin glared at the three-eyed martial artist. Unlike the short boy, Yamcha didn't fall for cheap provocations. "Keh. I think you're the lucky one if you managed to survive with such little skill." The black-haired young man uncrossed his arms and took a step forward. "You got this far because the lottery didn't put you against me." A confident smirk surfaced as he pointed the finger at himself.

"Oh? I'd be interested to see you try, where the stakes are much higher."

While they were bickering, Goku stopped warming up and confusingly stared at them. "Who's he?" He scratched the top of his head with the tail until the previous champion stepped forward.

The older man stroked his beard as he observed the young fighters. "That would be Tenshinhan. He's the star pupil of the famous Crane Hermit. His master was once a fierce rival to Master Roshi. You should watch how he fights and be careful." Jacky Chun yawned as he listened to their conversation.

However, all of that came to a halt when the announcer walked in. "Alright, I apologize for keeping you waiting. All participants, please assemble!" As the fighters approached, he adjusted his black glasses. A smile appeared on his face when he saw Goku waving in his direction. With these guys here, he knew the tournament would be exciting.

"Ahm! Let's get started. When I call your name, please draw your ticket. So, let's start with the previous champion, Jacky Chun."

Tenshinhan's eyes fell on the older man. Ever since his talk with Yamcha, an idea began brewing inside his head. "He's the last time's champion. Chiaotzu set him up against that long-haired guy. I want to see something." He whispered so nobody could hear them. For a second, he glanced at the taller fighter who stoically waited.

"Okay. Anything else, Ten?"

A faint chuckle escaped from his mouth. "I want that fool to be my first victim. He will regret talking back to me after I'm over with him." Tenshinhan crossed the arms in front of his naked torso as he observed the former bandit. "Other than that, you can do whatever you like." His little friend simply responded with a nod. He and Chiaotzu patiently waited for the announcer to call them and for the finals to start.

**.**

The crowd anxiously waited for the finals to start. A lot of people grew annoyed by the long wait. Shouts rang across the place, but Bulma and the others didn't seem bothered by that. Thanks to Launch, they secured a perfect place to watch the rounds. They stood just in front of the ring and, like everyone gathered, waited for the bell to sound off. However, just like during the preliminaries, Roshi was missing.

By now, she was annoyed by the man's behavior. "Tch! He's missing again. Just where the hell did he go this time!?" Bulma angrily crossed her arms while Puar floated above everyone's heads so he could maybe locate the turtle hermit.

"Leave the old man! I want to know when the fights are going to start! Come on already!"

While Launch slammed her hand against the short wall, Oolong took a precautionary step away from her. The pig didn't forget how often he was hit or strangled during the last tournament, and he didn't want a repeat of that. Suddenly, everyone's attention moved elsewhere; the noise increased.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Sorry to keep you waiting so long!"

The blonde announcer stepped into the ring and smiled at the crowd. "The 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament will now begin!" As he lifted his fist, the noise of the drums exploded. He waited for a few seconds until the roaring from the crowd died out. "Let's begin match one right away!" The man moved to the side and pointed at the temple's entrance.

"For the first match, we have Yamcha versus Tenshinhan! It might be one of many interesting fights as we have a battle between the students of the famous turtle hermit and crane hermit!"

Yamcha and Tenshinhan walked into the ring, smirking. Neither said a word while the crowd yelled their names. The former desert bandit walked to the right side of the ring and continued to smile confidently. He immediately assumed his fighting pose and showed how serious he was. It was his chance to prove himself. After three years of hard training under the best martial arts master, how could he lose it?

"Hey, now's your chance if you want to run!"

Tenshinhan just closed his eyes and snickered. "I'll shut you up soon enough." The bald martial artist shifted to a fighting stance and waited for the announcer to start the fight.

Seconds before the match began, Goku and Krillin jumped on the wall and couldn't wait for the start. "Heh. That guy won't put much of a fight. Yamcha's going to win this easy!" Shortly after, Jacky Chun and Raditz arrived to watch the first fight.

"Um... I don't think so. That guy's strong."

Son Goku's words perplexed Krillin, but the bald fighter turned his head back on the ring once the announcer yelled. "Please, begin the match!" With the man out of the ring, they got permission to start the fight.

The first to make a move was Yamcha. He charged at Tenshinhan, who was surprised by the sudden burst of speed. His left kick got blocked, but the former bandit was already counting on that. He jumped and tried to strike with his other leg; however, the three-eyed fighter moved a step back. Yamcha was open for a clear shot, and that's what his opponent did.

"Toh!"

Tenshinhan's lightning-fast fist slammed into Yamcha's chest, forcing the turtle hermit disciple to gasp for air. Annoyed by it, he decided to put some distance. He moved back fast, but by the time he reached the opposite side, his opponent was three steps away. In the last second, Yamcha jumped high into the air, forcing Tenshinhan to follow. Their blows rang over the place as they continued to fall. They seemed at an equal level until the short-haired martial artist managed to slip a knee through his opponent's guard. The moment their feet touched the floor, they jumped away from each other.

Sweat dripped from his chin as he glared at his adversary. _"Damn! He's better than I thought. My chest still hurts."_ He wiped away the sweat from his face and took a deep breath.

The arrogant smirk never left, but Tenshinhan's eyes told a different story. _"Hmm, it looks like he's not all talk. It's been long since I've had so much trouble." _He slowly lowered down and assumed a different stance. "Interesting! Let's see if you can survive a bit more!" This time, he went on an offensive.

Yamcha was barely able to lift his guard in time. Tenshinhan's jab almost blew his arm away, but the warrior mustered all the strength he had for that to not happen. Sweat flew off his face as he tried to protect himself for all those fast blows. He couldn't even see his opponent's hands anymore. The martial artist cursed mentally. Irritated by the situation, he tried to uppercut Tenshinhan. However, the crane's student saw that coming.

He merely moved to the side and allowed Yamcha to pass. He struck the turtle hermit's pupil with a powerful kick to the gut from his current position. The force behind the kick was strong enough to send the former bandit slam into the wall. With a big smirk, he slowly lowered his leg and spat on the ground.

"Oh, no! Yamcha's getting beat up!"

While Krillin's orbs shook out of fear of Yamcha's possible loss, Goku and other fighters remained quiet. The young Saiyan didn't like to see his friend getting beaten, but Tenshinhan was just that strong. He had this feeling for a while, ever since he came across the three-eyed fighter. To think such a strong martial artist was in front of him, made him excited, and he wanted to fight him as soon as possible. However, Son Goku snapped out of his thoughts when his short-haired friend began to move.

Yamcha rose from the ground and held his abdomen as he glared at Tenshinhan. "Tch! I-I can't lose here!" He mumbled the words as he cleaned his mouth. There was no other choice but for him to use that move. "Alright, I'll show you my ace in the hole! You won't beat me!" H bent his knees and placed both hands forward, only to bring them near his right hip.

Upon recognizing the pose, Goku stood up. "Ah! Yamcha's going to use the Kamehameha!" The boy's tail swayed around as he eagerly waited for his friend to unleash the famous energy attack. Of course, the commotion around that caught Raditz's attention.

Sweat slid down his cheeks as he exhaled. "_KA ME HA ME..." _A small orb of condensed energy appeared between his hands as he concentrated as much as he could. The blue light shined upon everyone as the martial artist moved his hands forward. _"HA!"_ The ki blast traveled with a fantastic speed in Tenshinhan's direction.

While the crowd gasped in shock, the three-eyed warrior remained firm on his spot. Suddenly, he brought his hands together and, with a mighty shout, reversed the energy blast back at its owner once it made contact with his hands. Of course, that shocked Son Goku, Krillin, and Jacky Chun, who never imagined something like this.

"Hmph, the fight is over."

Terrified that his attack could cost him the match, Yamcha quickly jumped into the air. However, that was a grave mistake. Luckily, his blast exploded in an area where there were no people. While he wondered how anyone could deflect an energy blast, Yamcha wasn't aware Tenshinhan appeared beside him. Before he could blink, he received a devastating blow that sent him crashing against the floor. He was lying on the floor, unable to move. However, the former bandit released a scream when his opponent mercilessly landed with full force on his leg. He lost consciousness a second later.

The announcer, visibly shocked, jumped on the ring and approached the unmoving warrior. "H-His leg is twisted weird. It's broken..." A drop of sweat traveled across his forehead as he glanced at Yamcha's face. "Ahm! Contestant Yamcha is in no condition to continue the match! It means contestant Tenshinhan is the winner of match one!" Despite that, the crowd was too shaken to celebrate the victory.

Satisfied with his first victory, Tenshinhan turned his back to the crowd and walked toward the temple with a smirk. On his way there, he paid no attention to the remaining disciples of Master Roshi, who helped the staff with Yamcha. In his head, he already thought of his next battle. However, a childish voice forced him to stop as he reached the stairs.

Son Goku stood there with a fierce look in his dark eyes. "You're horrible. You knew Yamcha couldn't fight anymore, and you still did that." The boy closed his hands tightly as he glared at the taller male. "No matter what, I'm going to make you pay for what you did to Yamcha!" His tail furiously swayed behind his back as he declared that.

He stared at the kid for almost ten seconds until he turned around. "Haha, can you even survive until the final match? As if trash like you could ever defeat me." He walked up the stairs and tried to bring his laughter under control.

"Hn, for a moment, I thought the fight would be a disappointment, but that finish... I like your style. I hope you're going to be ready for our match."

A chill ran down his spine when he heard those silent words. A cold sweat rolled down his forehead and cheeks as his heartbeat increased. He never felt such an intense aura. For a split second, he was sure he was dead. After it passed by him and reached the ring, he immediately turned around. His dark spheres quivered as the long-haired warrior warmed up. Annoyed for letting a nobody mess with his head, Tenshinhan shook his head and glared at Jacky Chun's opponent.

With Yamcha carried to the nearby hospital by Puar and accompanied by Bulma and Launch, the second match began. "Well, let's start match two! In this match, we have the previous champion Jacky Chun versus an opponent who competes in this tournament for the first time, Raditz!" After the shock from the previous fight faded, the crowd responded to this with a shout.

Jacky Chun slowly walked to his side. _"Well, now. How am I going to defeat him? It's going to be a pain..."_ The martial arts master released a long sigh as he caressed his chin.

Meanwhile, Raditz slightly tilted his head left and right. The Saiyan warmed up his hands while he waited for the announcer to start the match. His eyes remained locked on the earthling, who reminded him of that old pervert. Whatever this guy was the older man's relative or not, it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was to win and hopefully get some entertainment out of this.

"Alright then, please begin match two!"


	9. Jacky Chun vs Raditz!

_"Alright then, please begin match two!"_

While the announcer's excited voice echoed over the place, the other contestants eagerly waited for the two fighters to charge at each other. Even Tenshinhan couldn't but be interested in this match. The three-eyed martial artist stood just in front of the temple's entrance with crossed arms. His eyes remained locked on the long-haired warrior for a while now. He wondered who that guy was. After all, he was a first-rate martial artist and an assassin, but he never heard that man's name.

But then again, he never heard of Jacky Chun until two years ago. Whoever they are and from wherever they come from, it didn't matter in the end. This match would show him their flaws and strengths. He would learn it now and best the winner of this battle in the second round. Just as he thought of that, an arrogant smirk appeared on his face as he stared at the warriors.

Meanwhile, Goku's entire body quivered with excitement. He held his tightly closed fists up as he observed Raditz and Jacky Chun with wide-open eyes. He knew both of these guys were very strong, but he didn't know who to give an edge. His tail joyfully swayed behind the back as he and his best friend Krillin patiently waited for one of them to make the first move. However, the little wild-haired boy suddenly snapped and quickly glanced to the left because surprisingly enough, it was Jacky Chun who made a move.

"Hyah!"

Jacky Chun closed the distance fast. The previous champion attacked with a sidekick, but it was easily blocked. Before his opponent's fist made contact, he ducked and seized the muscular arm. He released a loud shout as he spun and threw Raditz toward the edge of the ring. Knowing the Saiyan would recover from that, he instantly followed in pursuit. His knee was maybe only a couple of centimeters from knocking into the warrior's back, but Raditz suddenly vanished.

He looked left and right until he felt a presence above the head. "Over here, old man!" Jacky looked up and quickly raised both hands. A throbbing vein appeared on his forehead as he held back the heavy leg. With clenched teeth, Chun struggled not to get crushed by Raditz's leg. His skinny arms bulged as he summoned the needed strength to push the Saiyan away.

"Tohh!"

The older man's voice rang across the ring as he escaped from the dangerous situation. He jumped several steps away, and the moment Raditz's boot touched the floor, he charged forward. Before the Saiyan could land that massive backhand, Jacky Chun simply sidestepped and created multiple versions of himself. He circled his tall opponent, who seemed annoyed. Without wasting any more time, he attacked Raditz, who just punched a fake image.

He hit the warrior's cheek from behind and forced his student's older brother to stumble to the side. "Hah!" While Raditz's guard was down, he moved his hands faster then anyone could see. He struck the Saiyan's face and abdomen with several jabs and incredibly fast kicks. His opponent took a step back, but Jacky once again seized the hand. He pulled the young man closer and buried his knee-deep into the warrior's gut.

The older male was far from over. While holding Raditz's hand, he jumped and kicked him under the chin with all his might. Even the likes of Raditz got lifted into the air after such a strike. He ignored the cheers and propelled himself at the falling fighter. Jacky approached the flying warrior from the side and, with a loud yell, crashed his fist into the man's chest. Raditz's body-slammed and bounced off the floor, perfect for the older martial artist to deliver a powerful kick. The force behind the hit caused the Saiyan to crash into the wall near the astounded Krillin and Goku. While the wall collapsed and the rocks buried the long-haired fighter, Chun slowly lowered his right leg and released a sigh.

_"Ah! What an amazing match! Looks like the previous champion Jacky Chun got this match in his hands!"_

While the crowd roared after the announcer's words, Son Goku stared at the older man. "He's much stronger than three years ago! Gramps must've trained hard for this tournament!" A big smile surfaced as he stared at Jacky Chun. He couldn't wait for this match to resume and see the outcome.

"Eh, he did! Look what he did to your brother! I think this match's over."

The little Saiyan shook his head left and right and looked at the rubble five steps from them. "Hmm, I don't think so." He didn't know how, but he had a feeling Raditz still had to show off his real strength.

Tenshinhan shared the same thoughts as Goku. He was impressed by the older man's sharp strikes and movements. Even though he would never admit it out loud, but even he would have trouble against Jacky Chun. A drop of sweat slid down his jawline as he stared at the previous champion. There was something about his man that piqued his interest, and it wasn't only about strength. Irritated by the strange feeling, the bald martial artist scowled and looked away when the man glanced in his direction and smirked.

Moving fast, the blonde announcer climbed on the ring and approached the rubble. He adjusted his black glasses as he halted and tried to find the body._ "Ahm! I'll now start the countdown! One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Eh!?"_ He stopped when the ground began to tremble. Scared and confused, he ran away and jumped off the ring, but the shaking continued.

Even Goku, Krillin, and Tenshinhan, who stood behind them, were forced to held tightly to something. They saw the rocks disintegrating before a bright light engulfed the ring. Everyone had their arms up, alarmed by the sudden surge of light and tremor. However, it passed away quickly. It lasted only for five seconds, and everyone gathered around the ring could lower their arms. Son Goku and his bald friend finally opened their eyes and saw Raditz standing on the same spot where he crashed, grinning.

Raditz ignored the stammering voice of the announcer and the surprised gasps of the crowd. He moved his head around as he made a step forward. There were several bruises on his face while blood dripped from the chin. He raised a hand and wiped away the red ooze from his chin as he let out a chuckle. His eyes remained locked on Jacky Chun, who already assumed a fighting stance.

He paused at least ten meters from his opponent and put both hands on his thighs. "Not bad, old man. It seems you're different from other weaklings. After all, you made me bleed." The warrior laughed, but a throbbing vein appeared on his forehead. "And you're going to pay for that, insect!" His tail moved around the waist as he glared at Jacky Chun.

Cold sweat rolled down his wrinkled cheeks as the murderous intent came out of Raditz. "Hey, don't scowl like that. You're going to grow old before you know it if you continue to do that." He joked, but now that he woke up the beast, he needed to get serious. The martial artist unbuttoned his jacket and tossed it out of the ring.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled. The man assumed a different stance and glared at Raditz. "Come on, then! Let's see what you can do!" Just as he thought, his opponent attacked first this time.

_Boom!_

A loud noise rang across the area as Raditz's fist slammed against the floor. Cracks spread all over the place and caused severe damage to the ring. Luckily for Jacky Chun, he managed to jump away just in time. He didn't have time to be impressed by the sheer force behind the blow because Raditz was already behind him. Chun moved his head to the right and barely avoided a punch. While he was falling, he spun and tried to land a kick. However, it got easily caught by the Saiyan. He acted fast, lifted both arms over his head, but the hook's power was too much.

With his guard blown away, he could only watch as Raditz delivered a powerful strike. "Gahh!" The impact shattered several bones in his old body without any doubt. Because of the mighty blow, he crashed into the ground and coughed until he felt him approaching. Jacky rose on his feet and defended himself. While he tried to block the life-threatening jabs, Raditz forced him to move backward.

It was tough. Most of Raditz's punches were just too fast for him to see or block. Each one of them hurt like hell upon hitting his body. However, he wouldn't go down so quickly. After all, he needed to teach his pupil's older brother a lesson. With that in mind, Jacky clenched his teeth and surprised the Saiyan by catching both hands. A smirk appeared on his face as he stared at the younger male.

"Is this all you got? I've expected more from someone who bragged so much."

Raditz frowned and dangerously glared at his opponent. "Tch! Don't toy with me, scum!" He pulled the arm and freed his left hand. His fist was about to connect with the older man's forehead, but Jacky Chun swiftly turned away and catapulted him to the other side.

He was about to fall with his face against the ground, but he quickly placed a hand on the floor and launched himself into the air. As he turned around, he noticed a blue light coming from below. _"KA ME HA ME HAA!"_ The release of the energy blast was quite fast. He cursed out loud and put a hand forward. With a loud shout, he deflected the ki blast high into the clouded sky, much to the crowds and Krillin's astonishment.

While he floated in the air, he gazed at his palm. _"How is this weakling putting up a fight against me!? There's no way a pathetic earthling could be anywhere near my level!"_ Annoyed by Jacky Chun's durability and strength, the Saiyan grew angrier and angrier. "_I won't allow him to drag this match any further than this! I'll bring him down now!"_ His tail swayed wildly behind his back as he closed the hand tightly.

Meanwhile, Goku and Krillin were shocked by Raditz's ability to fly. "Woah! He can fly! I didn't know that's possible!" The young Saiyan exclaimed with a surprised tone in his voice as he stared at the long-haired warrior. "This fight's amazing! I don't know who's going to win!" He didn't know for who to cheer either. Those guys were exceptional fighters, and he couldn't choose between them as he wanted to fight both.

Behind them, Tenshinhan wasn't expecting to see this. _"Impossible! The only ones capable of using such a sophisticated technique should be only me, Chiaotzu, and master!"_ He shook his head and tried to look out for his master's presence. Once he found him in the crowd, he noticed a bewildered expression on his master's face. However, he snapped out of it and looked away once he felt Raditz's increase in power.

A pinkish glow began to steam around Raditz's body. "I had enough! Your life ends here, earthling scum!" Engulfed by a radiant aura, the Saiyan flew with high speed toward his enemy.

Raditz completely vanished out of his sight. Before he could blink, a massive fist crashed into his skull. The entire world spun, but that got replaced by another dose of pain. Raditz hit his gut with a knee. Shortly after that, the Saiyan kicked his rib-cage. He could feel the bones shatter. Now he was in a dangerous situation. He provoked Goku's brother a bit too much. The long-haired warrior was ruthless and genuinely wanted to kill him. However, he would not let that happen.

He trained hard, especially in this past year. While his dear students were resting, he spent sleepless nights outside working out. It was all because of this young warrior. He could feel the admirable strength in this man and the potential. However, Raditz's walked a dark and cold path. The moment he laid his eyes on him, he could feel the darkness. At that time, he couldn't do a thing, but now there was some chance. As slim as it was, he wasn't going to give up. Then again, how could he? After all, Raditz was Goku's only living relative, and the boy deserved to have someone.

And the same could be said about Raditz. He didn't know much of the young man's story, but he suspected it wasn't a nice one. Just what kind of life did he live out there, in the endless void of space? It wasn't an easy one for sure. However, that didn't matter at this point. He would question that later. Now, he needed somehow to stir this mighty warrior on the right path.

While the Saiyan continued to pummel him, he waited for an opening. He endured and endured the beating until he sneaked his palm through and touched Raditz's chest. "Hooh!" He pushed the warrior away with an invisible force. Jacky Chun slammed both hands together and began to concentrate on the next attack. However, he snapped out of it when he noticed a purple ki blast coming his way.

He escaped in time, but the sheer magnitude of that power passing by knocked him down. "Uff! I'm getting too old for this stuff." The older martial artist shook his weary head. As he tried to stand up, Raditz materialized in front and kicked him under the chin. "Gahh!" His body rolled across the ring until he reached the edge.

"I said no more games! You tried to make a fool out of me, and I kill those trying to do that!"

His true colors are finally showing itself, and Raditz wasn't even aware of it. Instead of keeping his cool and composure like before, the Saiyan allowed himself to get consumed by anger. It was all because there was someone who could keep up with him. Chun released a chuckle as he stood up and faced the long-haired fighter. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. It was time to act.

Jacky Chun took a deep breath in, and five seconds later, let it out. "Raditz, you got so much power, yet at the same time, you're weak. If you continue to walk in the same path as you're now, it won't be long before your life comes to an end." As he thought, his words forced the Saiyan to halt.

"Tch! What's that!? Explain yourself, fool!"

Such a fierce look. However, Chun continued. "You won't achieve anything if you follow the path of evil! Raditz! It's obvious you're stronger than me, but you lack composure, technique, and skills to achieve your true potential!" Step by step, he approached the warrior, who seemed hesitant to respond.

"Break out from the easy path of shadow! If you want to achieve anything in your life, walk the same path your little brother does!"

He pointed at Son Goku, who, just like Krillin, wondered what was going on. "Of course, you don't have to be just like him, but at least break free from the darkness surrounding you! It would be such a shame to lose a warrior such as yourself to that." Even while he continued his monologue, Jacky Chun remained on guard.

"I understand it won't be easy to change, and it doesn't need to be right away. But just think about it."

Jacky Chun suddenly stopped and took two steps back. "Stop talking crap! What do you know!? None of you know what's like to live out there!" Just by a simple swing with his left hand, the tiles broke under the invisible force. "I'm a Saiyan warrior! We live to fight and conquer! I spent days eating worms and fight for my life so that I could obtain a planet and don't get myself killed! So don't talk about being it easy!" Overcame by rage, Raditz roared as he dashed at Chun.

"I regret nothing! I'm proud of everything I did! And yes, even killing!"

Raditz's pupils were transparent out of fury coursing through him at the moment. Instead of knocking Jacky Chun's head off, the Saiyan missed. "Again, with this trick!? I won't be fooled twice by the same thing!" He spread both arms and fired a barrage of ki blasts, not caring about the spectators.

While the people scattered and ran away in fear, Goku, Krillin, and Tenshinhan hid. Only Jacky Chun remained on the ring, but the poor man got hit by the blast. "There you are! Your life ends here, you babbling fool!" Raditz jumped from one side to the other, ready to pierce the man's lungs.

However, Jacky Chun had a countermeasure for that. Electricity surged around his hands as he, with an open eye, glared at the incoming warrior. "It's time for you to calm down for a bit! _THUNDER SHOCK SURPRISE!_" He fired the attack from the ground and struck the angry Saiyan.

"K-Kah! W-What is this!? I-I can't move!"

While blood and sweat dripped from his chin, Jacky Chun trapped the warrior using the electrical technique. "Heh, it's one of my special attacks. Not even someone as strong as you will be able to escape." Unlike what happened with Goku three years ago, this version was much more potent. However, it drained a lot of energy. "Listen! You can't achieve everything by brute strength, no matter who taught you that!" His voice rang over the place so Raditz could hear him.

Jacky Chun moaned and suddenly dropped on his knee. "You're right about one thing, though. I and the others don't know what you had to endure and probably will never understand. But, I'm willing to hear your story! You're not alone anymore. There are people here who you can trust and won't try to harm you in any way. Well, not that anyone could because you're ridiculously strong." A little laugh escaped from Chun, whose attack seemed to weaken.

"And it's not like I'm saying anything special. It's just that... It would be a shame for such talent to decay. Think about it while Bulma's still trying to fix your pod."

Upon hearing that, Raditz finally realized who this man was. "I-I knew it! S-So it's you, perverted old man." That annoying smirk told him everything. "Hmph. If you think your little talk is going to change anything, you're an even bigger idiot then I thought! Hah!" He kept his mouth open and was ready to fire a blast at the older man.

Noticing that, Jacky Chun had no other choice but to release the Saiyan. His initial plan failed. He thought by immobilizing Raditz, he could push him outside, but the battle dragged for too long, and he sustained too many injuries. There was no other choice but to go for the last-ditch effort. He ran to the side and halted. Chun's loud yelling echoed over the place as he increased his muscle mass and height.

That seemed to catch Raditz by surprise, but the Saiyan's moment of hesitation was enough to fire his last ki blast. _"KA ME HA ME HAA!"_ He poured every last bit of energy left into this attack.

Raditz, who stood at the edge of the ring, loudly chuckled at the incoming blast. "Haha! So, this is your last pitiful attempt to defeat me? What a joke!" He flew into the air and avoided the blue blast without breaking a sweat. However, the Saiyan was caught by of guard when the ki blast changed trajectory. "What the hell!?" Before he could turn around, the attack hit his back and carried him toward the ring.

He crashed into the ground, but there was no significant damage inflicted on his back. "Damn him! That old fool annoys me! I will crush him in a sec..." The Saiyan didn't care that he showed his back to the earthling. He was facing the empty spots when someone took hold of his tail. "A-Ah, no, it can't be!" Slowly, he turned his head to the side and saw the skinny martial artist barely holding his tail.

It took everything he had just to stand, let alone squeeze the furry tail. "Hehe. Just because you're stronger than someone doesn't mean you're allowed to drop your guard. A rookie mistake, boy." For a moment, he almost lost consciousness. "Do you understand now? You lack a lot of things, and one of them is awareness. But a big one is how easily you underestimate your opponent." His breathing was shallow, and his throat was on fire.

The Saiyan couldn't talk. Not because his tail got caught, and it drained all of his energy, but because it happened again. _"It's the same situation as back on planet Kabocha! Did I do it again!? I thought the earthlings were a bunch of emotional weaklings! I underestimated my enemy again!"_ He wanted to pound his head against the ground, but he couldn't at this moment. Good thing, Vegeta wasn't here. He was sure the little prince would kill him otherwise.

He needed to get out of this situation, and he just knew how. "L-Let go of my tail, please! I-I promise to give up and abandon my evil path! P-Please! I swear to join you and seek redemption!" He cried, but it was all an act. Knowing how absurd sentiments guided these morons, the hermit was going to let go.

Jacky Chun remained silent for almost a minute. He stared at the immobilized warrior on the ground and released a sigh. "I will let you go, but know that I give up this match." His words shocked Raditz, who couldn't come up with anything. He let go of the tail and walked toward the edge while the long-haired warrior stood up.

"Wait! Why are you doing this!? You're afraid, aren't you!? Haha! You know you can't beat me, so you decided to give up! Coward!"

He ignored Raditz's laugh and jumped off the ring. Chun picked up his jacket and put it on. "Raditz, you got it wrong. I'm not scared to fight you. I enjoyed our match until you lost yourself in anger." The older martial artist smiled as he looked at, the taller warrior. "It's just that I'm not afraid to admit defeat and accept there's still a lot to learn. Unlike you, who lied and cowardly tried to win this match." He could see his words struck in the right spot.

"Ehh! Anyway, I'm old and tired. I need some good rest."

Raditz's dark orbs quivered as he watched the martial artist leaping over the wall and walk away. He remained on the same spot for several minutes, ignoring the announcer and the tournament staff who tried to fix the ring. His mouth twitched. He bit his lower lip and growled as he turned around. Annoyed by what transpired today, he ignored his younger brother and flew away. He knew if he stayed here, in a state of mind that he currently is, many people would die.


End file.
